May's Crush
by PikamasterADV
Summary: On their way to the Battle Pyramid, everyone learns that May has a crush! Who is it? Why is Drew here? Advanceshipping AAMayL.
1. Confidential

**Hello. This is my first fan fiction, so I'm not very experianced. Any suggestions, comments, questions, etc., will be greatfully excepted. And this is Advanceshipping/AshxMay/SatoHaru, so if you don't like the paring, please don't just mindlessly bash my fic because of it.**

**This fic takes place after AG182 (Aipom and the King!), so there are spoilers here for those of you who don't keep track of the Japanese Episodes. Just warning you.**

**Recently, I redid the first two chapters so that the thinking parts are in italics, instead of looking normal. I used and > to act as the thought dividers in Word, but that doesn't transfer very well onto this website. Not that you would notice, anyway, seeing as to this is only two days old.**

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The sun was shining brightly over the Kanto Region. The sky was a clear blue, not a single cloud in the sky. Four travelers marched on in the cool shade of a cliff face in spite of the late afternoon humidity. The clear sky didn't stop a certain brown-haired girl from getting her head in the clouds, however.

"C'mon May! Try to keep up!"

May was brought out of her daydream by a boy calling to her from further up the road. She looks up to see that this boy with a yellow Pokémon sitting on his shoulder. Next to him was her brother, staring at her from behind her glasses. A close friend of theirs whom they were also traveling with had a concerned look on his older face. The group of them was stopped about ten yards ahead of her, all of them staring in her direction.

"Honestly," the boy in the red hat complained as he approached her with Pikachu sitting on his shoulder, "You've been a space-case ever since the end of the Grand Festival. What's up?"

"Oh, it's nothing!" May assured him, not making contact with his auburn eyes. She'd always been a terrible liar, especially to her friends. Not looking into his calming eyes makes this easier , she thought. She instead decided to focus on his blue sweat shirt, his baggy jeans, his strong arms…

May refocused her thoughts on his Pikachu. He beamed a smile at her face with large, dark eyes. The red patches on his face concealed a massive electric charge. He had bright yellow fur, a lightning bolt shaped tail, and-

"Hello, earth to May?" The boy who owned the Pikachu waved his hand clad in black fingerless glove in front of her face. "Are you feeling alright?" he said as he looked into her large, sapphire colored eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine, Ash!" May waved her white gloved hand in front of him in an attempt to shoo him off. She turned away from him and looked up at the cliff. "I guess I just feel like I'm being followed, I guess."

Her brother walked closer to her, knowing that there was more to this than she let on. "I think you're hiding something, May. What is it this time? Did you waste all of your money again?"

"Of course not!" May retorted to her dark-haired brother, "How irresponsible do you think I am?"

Adjusting his glasses and smiling, he knew she just took the bait. "Oh, I'd say VERY irresponsible. Remember that time your Bulbasaur was eating things and getting lost in trucks back in Hoenn?" he started

Ash knew where this was headed, so while May and her brother argued with each other, he approached his older friend, who had focused his narrow eyes on a small, yellow device. He pressed its buttons, growled when the outcome wasn't what he wanted, pressed more buttons and let out a sigh when he had got it to work properly.

"Did you figure out how to work it, Brock?" Ash asked his friend.

Brock furrowed his eyebrows. He reached into the pocket in his brown cargo pants and pulled out the manual to the small device. The word, 'PokéNav' was written in small letters. "This stuff is just too hard for me to read," Brock explained. "I figured I'd just play around with it until I figured it out." He sighed, "This is just like video games. I'm simply no good." His look returned to cheerful. "I did, however," he told Ash sounding like he had just achieved a great victory, "get it to display the map."

"That's good," Ash said, smiling. "Are we gonna reach a Pokémon Center before nightfall?" Ash asked him, "I think May and Max are gonna need to take a long sleep after this one."

Brock focused his gaze on the LCD display on the PokéNav. He hit a few buttons an cracked a smile. "There's a Pokémon Center not far from here. We should be able to see it soon." Brock told his traveling companion.

"Aha! I knew it!" May's brother, Max, exclaimed. Ash and Brock looked over to see Max pointing at his sister's blushing face.

"TAKE THAT BACK!" May screamed at him. She clenched her gloved fists and was about to punch him. Max quickly turned in his green sneakers and ran back towards Ash and Brock. He ducked behind Brock's leg. Brock stepped up to protect Max from his raging sister.

"Whoa! What's up now?" Brock said, trying to mediate the situation.

"Yeah, May," Ash turned to her, "What's up?"

Before she could say, Max interrupted, "May's gotta crush on a boy!"

With that, May's face turned deep red, almost the same shade as the tight zip-up blouse that she was wearing. "MAX!" she screamed, "You're gonna get it this time!" She lunged at Max, but Ash restrained her by holding her arms from behind, with Pikachu pulling on her red bandana. Brock stood in between Max and his raging sister. "If Ash and Brock weren't here, you'd be dead!" she growled to her diminutive sibling.

"If Ash and Brock weren't around, would you have met your 'boyfriend'?" Max taunted her.

Ash was just about to give in and let the girl tear her younger brother apart when he heard a familiar voice calling from atop the cliff they where traveling next to.

"I thought that screaming was familiar" the green-haired boy said, looming over the cliff.

"Who's that?" Ash said, turning to him.

"Isn't that Drew?" Max said, adjusting his glasses.

May's disposition changed from anger to surprise as she looked up to see Drew, her rival, looking down at her and her friends. His purple jacket was hanging open, exposing his black shirt and slim physic. "It is Drew!" she exclaimed. "Hey, Drew! What are you doing out here?" she holler at him, "The Grand Festival is over. I thought you'd have gone back to Hoenn by now."

"I've decided to train in Kanto some more before I head back." Drew told her, flicking his hair in a showboating manor. "What are you all doing?" he asked her back.

"Ash is going to the Battle Pyramid, and we're going with him." May replied, indicating Ash by pointing at the young trainer.

"Oh really?" Drew said with a smirk on his face. His green eyes appeared to glow. "Mind if I travel with you guys as far as the Pokémon Center?" He asked them as he let his hand fall along side his green pants. "It's close by, and I'm staying the night there."  
"Yes, of course!" May bubbled. Then she realized that she was in front of the rest of her friends. "I mean, if you guys don't mind."

"I don't mind," Ash smiled.

"The more the merrier, as they say." Added Brock.

After getting down from the cliff, Drew, along with May and her friends, began walking to the Pokémon Center. Drew asked May what training she has done since the Grand Festival. May shrugged the question off and tried to talk about other things. Before she could change the subject, Brock asked him what kinds of food he fed his Pokémon, noting that at the Grand Festival, they all looked remarkably healthy. Max walked up to Drew and commented on his excellent battle with May, to which Drew thanked the young boy, only to have the brother of May deflate his ego by saying that May was awesome and completely outclassed him.

Ash found himself glancing backwards at May, who was focused on Drew, who had made himself the center of attention. He looked at her red tennis shoes, and his eyes followed past her short, black socks, up her smooth legs, to where her black shorts and short, white skirt intermingled to give the impression that she, while liked to show off her body, she was also quite modest. His eyes continued upward to her pack that hung on her wide hips and helped accentuate her hourglass appearance. He gazed upon the curves of her body until he found himself looking at her chest. Ash stared for only a moment before he realized what he was doing. He turned his head back around and focused on the road ahead of him. He berated himself for looking at a girl, much less a close friend of his, in such an objective way. He blushed slightly, hoping no one took notice of what had just transpired.

Unfortunatly for him, Pikachu had noticed him staring at May. Concerned over his partner, Pikachu tugged on Ash's unkempt, black hair in an attempt to grab his attention.

"Pikapi, pika pika?" the mouse Pokémon asked him.

"Nothing's wrong, Pikachu" Ash smiled, lying to his long time friend.

"Pi pika chu ka, Pikapi," he sighed. He looked at him with a concerned expression over his small face.

"Uh, I dunno, Pikachu." Ash's face went from a false grin to a grimace. "I guess I never thought of May and Drew like that before. Max said she's gotta crush on someone, and she's happy to see Drew…" he trailed off.

"Pi pika pi Chuu, Pikapi?" Pikachu asked him.

"So what if I am?" Ash grunted quietly, so only Pikachu could hear him.

"Pi pika chu ka pikaka chu Pikachu, pika?" Pikachu said as he cocked his head to the side.

Ash's heart leaped up into his throat. Even though he couldn't understand what Pikachu had just said, he knew his Pokémon had hit the nail on the head. "Yeah, I do." He cringed at the thought of Pikachu's response.

Instead of laughing like Ash thought he would, Pikachu licked his face, causing him to look up at the Electric-Type again.

"You knew?" Ash asked Pikachu. He nodded. "How did you figure it out?" he asked his Pokémon. Pikachu returned him a knowing look. "Yeah," Ash laughed, "I guess given as close as we are, you know all about my secret, don't ya, buddy."

"Chaa!" He cooed as Ash rubbed his head.

"But what am I supposed to do about it?" Ash said to Pikachu, thinking. Pikachu got his attention and made some aggressive poses. "You're right. It's do or die time. I have to do something about it. I'll try to find the perfect time tonight. Thanks, buddy." He said. He rubbed behind Pikachu's ears again.

The fivesome arrived at the Pokémon Center. Ash, May, Brock, and Drew walked up to the desk and rung the bell. The Pokémon Center was relatively empty, but that could be understood, because this particular center was quite a ways out of the way. They waited there only a moment or two before the door behind desk opened up, revealing a man in doctor's scrubs. The dark red hair under his cap floated over his sharp blue eyes. A mask hung over his shoulders and a smile grew on his face as he approached the children.

"Welcome to our Pokémon Center!" He greeted Ash's party, "How may I assist you?"

"No offense," Ash started, "But I was expecting a Nurse Joy."

"I'm not surprised," the man sighed.

"What do you mean?" May asked him. "What's your name?"

"I'm Doctor Joseph, and I run this Pokémon Center along with my partner, Skarmory!" At the mention of her name, Joseph's Skarmory waddled through the door Joseph came out of.

"Skyaa!" it's shrill voice made Ash and his friends cringe.

"You mean there's no Joy?" Brock cried to himself.

"But, are you even related to any of the Joys?" Ash asked him.

"Of course I am!" he stood up for himself. "I am the younger brother of the Joy who works in Petalburg City in the Hoenn Region."

"Oh! My little brother Max and I are from Petalburg City!" May started to introduce herself.

"Oh, are you little May and Max, the children of the Petalburg Gym Leader?" He asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, have you heard about us?" May asked her apparent fan.

"My sister talks about your father all of the time!" Joseph explained. "And she says that Norman's always talking about his children, saying that they went on a journey with a great Pokémon Trainer." After he said this, Ash stepped up with a knowing smile on his face. "I believe his name was Alf!" Joseph said, smiling. Ash sighed as a depressed look came over his face.

"Actually," Ash said, correcting him, "my name is Ash."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Joseph laughed, "Well, anyway, can I help you folks?"

Ash and May, left their Pokémon with the doctor, except Pikachu, and then went with Max to get some dinner.

"Hey, Drew" Brock asked him after leaving his own Pokémon with the doctor, "are you hungry? Max and I are going to follow Ash and May and see if they're going to leave anything for us to eat."

Drew shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll do a little more training. May's yelling earlier distracted me."

"Alright, suit yourself." Brock shrugged. "See you around Drew."

_Oh, I wouldn't count on that_, Drew thought to himself smugly.

He hadn't really been training. Drew had been trailing May and her friends since he saw them pass a few days ago. He had already acknowledged to himself that he liked May. And he had over heard that May had a crush on some boy. Given how he had been continuously dropping hints at the contests they had competed in, he thought it was a safe bet that the crush was him. He knew that this was his chance. He was done laying hints. This time he was going to ask May if she would like to travel with him.

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**Well, that's the first act. Did you enjoy it? Are you gonna review it? I'll try to put up the next portion in a timely manner (even though its already typed for several more pages, I want to do a little at a time).**


	2. Confession

**Here's the second Chapter. Thanks for the nice reviews so far (All one of you). **

**And I forgot to in the first chapter, but Pokémon, the characters, etc. are not mine. They belong to The Pokémon Company, as well as Creatures, Gamefreak, and Nintendo. **

**Now, on with the show, shall we?**

**This chapter was also affected when I changed thinking to be in italics. Reasoning is in the Author's notes in Chapter 1.**

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**After dinner, May went outside and sat out in the cool grass. Ash was out training Aipom, the newest addition to his team on the other side of the center, and Brock and Max had left to go buy supplies from a mom and pop general store. May spread her legs apart and propped herself up by placing her hands on the ground behind her. She gazed at the round, full moon. How did Max figure it out? She thought. She tried to remember how to conversation had gone in that direction earlier today. 

_"All that stuff was a long time ago, Max!" May retorted to her brother's accusation, "Besides, I'm a much better trainer, now."_

_"Well, there's been lotsa people helping you." Max responded._

_May knew this as well as anyone. "Yeah. Ash has been there since the beginning, and Drew has really helped me in my contests. Then there's been a lot of my other contest opponents. I've probably even learned something from Harley."_

_"Even Harley?" Max was surprised._

_"Yeah," May laughed, "but he's not near the top of who I would consider the most influential."_

_"Well, then who is?" Max asked her._

_"Probably Ash and Drew," May blushed, "they've helped me in ways no one else can."_

_"Do you like either of 'em?" Max asked his sister._

_"W-what?" May was surprised. She could feel her face turn crimson._

_"I bet you have a crush on one of 'em!" Max accused her._

_"N-n-no I d-don't!" May cried as she blushed even more fervently._

_"Aha! I knew it!" Max exclaimed. May saw out of the corner of her eye that this comment had gotten Ash's attention._

May sighed, again gazing at the full moon. It was a cool night. A gentle breeze blew through her brown hair and flicked it into her face. She brushed it away, and saw the shrubs in the nearby forest moving. She saw something yellow come out of the bush. Ash's Pikachu had seen her sitting alone in the grass and was running up to her. Oh, no! What if Ash is following it! she thought.

Pikachu walked up to her. "Pikachu, pika pika chu?"

"Hi, Pikachu," May said hesitantly, "is Ash following you.'

"Pikachu," He shook his head.

"Did you sneak off during training?" she asked him. In response, Pikachu widened his face, pulled his ears down, and put on a big, toothy grin.

"He's doing a lot of training with Aipom, isn't he?" May responded, recognizing the Pokémon Pikachu was imitating.

"Pika." He nodded. He leapt into May's lap. May wasn't startled. It seemed like Pikachu was always spending time with her when he wasn't with Ash. She rubbed behind his ears just as she had seen Ash do. May smiled as she heard his coo under her gentle touch. She stopped and looked at Pikachu. Pikachu turned and lowered his ears. "Pika pi, Pikachu?" he asked, concerned.

"You know I'm feeling down, don't you?" May asked rhetorically. "I was just thinking about you, Pikachu. And how you seem as comfortable around me as you do Ash."

"Pika." Pikachu responded.

"But I also remember how sometimes, when you weren't with Ash, how you'd go out of your way to sit with me, or on my head."

"Pika..." he laughed, embarrassed.

"Well…" May smiled, knowing that Pikachu had just fallen into her trap, "They say Pokémon take on the personalities of their trainers. As well as likes and dislikes."

"Pika?" Pikachu choked. Even he could see where this was going now.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you…" and with that May lowered her head close to Pikachu's ear and whispered, "Do you know if Ash likes me?"

Thinking quickly, Pikachu decided to play dumb. "Pika!" It said, rather obliviously.

May knew Ash, and she knew Pikachu would try to weasel out just like Ash would. "No, you know what I meant!" May chastised him, "I meant does he have a crush on me?"

Pikachu, flabbergasted, thought about how Ash had instructed him earlier that night.

_"Okay, Pikachu, I want you to spy on May for me." Ash told his long time partner._

_"Pika!" he let out a displeased sound._

_"Not like that, Pikachu!" Ash reassured it, "I meant I want you to go and see what kind of mood May's in, and see if she's with anyone else. You can sit in her lap and try and get her to talk to you and stuff. Not like hiding in the bushes like some kinda G.I. Jenny"_

_"Pika?" it looked confused._

_"Because if she sees you, she might think of me," Ash said, blushing slightly, "I want you to try to learn if she likes me back" His blush deepened._

_"Pika! Pika, pika pi Pikachu pikaka pi pik pikachu chuu?" He continued._

_"Just hop on her head. That should distract her from asking about me again." Ash explained. "And remember," Ash continued, "make sure she doesn't learn that I like her from you. I don't think she'd kindly of me sending you to spy on me."_

_"Pika!" Pikachu raised his hand into the air as if to support Ash's plan._

_"Thanks buddy," Ash picked Pikachu up, "I knew I could count on you." He snuggled Pikachu in his arms and then set it down to go find May. "Now, I gotta do some training," he said, turning. He reached along side his belt, and pulled a Pokéball out. "Aipom, I choose you!" he called out as he tossed it into the air._

Pikachu, remembering the instructions, leaped onto May's head.

"H-Hey!" May said, laughing. "What are you trying to do, Pikachu?" May rocked her head forward to try to get Pikachu to slip off. Her plan worked, as Pikachu came tumbling down in front of her. His feet landed on her chest, and caused Pikachu to bounce onto the ground flat on its back.

"Chaa…" it cried after feeling the impact.

May picked Pikachu up and held him. "Are you okay, Pikachu?" May asked. Pikachu put his hand behind his head in an embarrassed sort of way. He chortled a little bit. Then his ears perked up and its expression changed to serious.

"Huh?" May was confused, "Is someone there, Pikachu?"

"May, is that you?" the voice of Drew called out to her.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried. He squirmed out of May's grasp and ran past Drew, who was approaching May, to go tell Ash of who had just shown up.

Drew eyed Pikachu as he scampered away. He quickly put the thought out of his mind, and turned to May. "So, how have you been?" he asked her.

"Drew, it hasn't even been that long since the Grand Festival, remember?" May said, standing up to face him, "I'm fine. Just like I was then."

Drew coughed. "Anyway, I came out here to find you because there is something I wanted to tell you."

"What's th-" May was cut off by Drew presenting a rose to her.

"I'm in love with you, May," he told her. May blushed heavily and gently took the rose from his hand.

"I-I-I-I don't know what to say," May stammered, surprised that Drew would be so direct with her.

"Well, don't say anything yet," he advised her, "I also have a request to make." He looked up into her eyes. Her blush thickens when she notices this. "I… would like it if you stopped journeying with Ash and came along with me instead," he said to her.

"W-what?" May's eyes widened at this request. She dropped the rose on the ground. "Bu-but what about Max? Where will he go?" she was startled and stammered out.

Drew looked into her large, sapphire eyes calmly, "We can talk about that later. I'm not expecting an answer tonight," he explained, "This must be a lot to take in, and I want to give you a night to think about it. I know you care a lot about your friends, and I wanted you to do what would really make you happy." May could only stand stunned as Drew turned from her. "I'm going to bed now," Drew said to her, "I'll hang around the center until noon. I'll be expecting your answer before then." He coolly walked off. May heard the doors of the center open and close. She fell to the ground, he knees landing first there, stunned at what had just occurred.

_Drew… is in love with me…?_ She thought timidly to herself.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the center, bubbles and stars clashed together on the outskirts of the nearby forest, creating explosions. These explosions brought small flashes, brightening up the sky for a moment. When the air cleared this time, a tired Aipom was panting as Ash's Corphish lunged at it with a glowing claw.

"Aipom!" Ash cried to it, "Dodge that Crabhammer!"

"Eii!" the purple monkey Pokémon leaned back, and bounced up using her tail. Corphish brought its claw down into the ground, missing Aipom completely.

"Now, Focus Punch!" Ash commanded.

"Eii-" Aipom cried as her tail was enveloped in a bright glow. She shouted, "-Pom!" as she swung her tail into in to the crustacean, sending him flying against a tree.

"Cooooooor…" Ash's Water-Type wheezed as he sunk into the grass, knocked out.

"You did a great job, Corphish, return!" Ash told his friend as he recalled the crayfish Pokémon back into its Pokéball. He turned to Aipom, "And you where awesome, too, Aipom. Return." Ash held up her ball and recalled her.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called to Ash as he ran up to his trainer.

"Pikachu!" Ash turned and picked up his partner, "How did it go? Did you learn anything?"

Pikachu leaped out of Ash's grip and pulled his ears down to the sides of his head. His eyes got sparkly and he cooed an effeminate "Chaa!"

"So you really think May likes me!" Ash excitedly asked him while he blushed slightly.

"Pika!" he nodded.

"Well, let's go talk to her!" Ash was about to run off.

"Pika!" He halted him. He pulled his ears down in front of his eyes. He flicked them and said, "Pi!" in a stuck up way.

"What?" Ash was surprised, "You mean Drew was talking to her! Let's go, we don't have time to waste!" Ash took off after Pikachu leaped on his shoulder. He ran behind the Pokémon Center to where he knew May was just as Drew had left her to return to his room.

"May!" Ash called to her from behind the bushes. He stepped out and saw her sitting alone on the ground. Where'd that Drew go? he thought. He walked up to her and extended his hand to help her to her feet. "Are you alright, May?" Ash asked her as he pulled her to her feet.

May, seeing Ash here, quickly hid her memory of what just happened between her and Drew. "Yeah," she tried to shake it from her mind, "I was just surprised is all."

"What surprised you?" Ash asked her.

May quickly changed the subject. "So how did your training with Aipom go?" She asked him.

"It went great!" Ash beamed, "Aipom did really great in a battle with Corphish. She's a really strong Pokémon…" Ash trailed off. He looked into May's eyes, and saw those glittering sapphire orbs reflect the moonlight. The pale glow of the moon made her skin glow and the smile on her face of genuine friendship made his heart beat faster.

"Ash, are you okay?" May asked him as a faint blush came over Ash's face.

_This is it_, he thought, _do or die._

"M-M-May! I-I th-think I'm falling in…love… with you." Ash stuttered out, his face becoming redder as the sentence went on.

May blushed when she heard that. "R-really?" she asked.

Ash sat down in the grass. He sighed and looked at the moon. "Yeah," he said, his heart beating at a mile a minute.

"When did it happen?" May asked, sitting down close-but-not-next to him. She tried to hide the rose that Drew gave her behind her.

"You make it sound like there's something wrong with me," Ash scoffed, trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

"No, it's not that," May assured him, moving her hand on to his, "I really want to know. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Ash." She squeezed his hand.

"A while ago, I guess," Ash thought out loud, "I mean, we where always good friends, but I guess at some point, I felt like it was becoming something more."

"Go on," May implored him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. She liked romantic stories like this, and would often read books about this kind of situation when she wasn't training for the next contest.

Ash laid back in the grass. Pikachu sat next to him on the side May wasn't on. He sat there thinking for a moment. "Remember that island in Hoenn with the Donphan, when Max got lost in the forest. You where so worried about him that you didn't take the ferry to Pacifidlog. When I saw how sad that made you, I realized that there might be more to our friendship than I thought. I tried my best to comfort you, because I wanted that bright smile of yours to return to that face."

"But that was quite a long time ago, Ash," May said, "Why are you just now telling me how you feel?"

"When Max said you had a crush on somebody, I was just going to brush it off," he said, eyes closed, "But then that Drew guy showed up, and you seemed so happy to see him…" Ash clenched his fists, "… I guess that this is the first time I've ever felt like I had a chance of losing you." Ash calmed himself, "I mean, I thought that we'd have a longer time together before I'd have to say anything. I was just putting it off." Ash sighed, "I never thought anything about what was going on between you and Drew. I thought it was just friendly. But then with what Max said… this is the first time I've ever felt threatened about it."

"Ash…" May whispered to herself.

Ash turned to her face. "I know this probably came off as acquired-"

"Awkward," May corrected him.

"Yeah, awkward," Ash laughed, "But anyway, I feel really mixed up inside now." He turned serious again, "Pikachu and I are gonna camp outside. I don't feel like I'd be able to sleep if I was able to look at you. You don't have to tell me how you feel yet." Ash stood, walking toward the center's door. "Whenever you feel like you're ready." He glanced back at her and caught a glimpse of the rose Drew gave her. He put the thought out of his mind, and went inside the center to rest his Pokémon and get his sleeping bag.

"Oh no…" May said to herself, realizing what just happened, "What am I gonna do now?"

After Ash and Pikachu left, Max asked May where they went. May invented some story about how Ash had heard of a rare Pokémon in the forest and was going to camp out to find it. Max began to get his camping gear together so he could go watch for it with Ash, but May scolded him and told him to go to bed. Max, sulking, obeyed his older sister and went to sleep. May sat outside their room, thinking to herself, both out loud and in her head, about what had just happened.

"Ash and Drew…" she started to collect her thoughts, "They both are in love with me!" she squealed with joy. The thought of Drew presenting her a beautiful bouquet of lush roses, and Ash taking her hand for a romantic moonlight flight upon his Charizard made her heart flutter, and May giggled like a young girl would had she been in her situation. But then reality set in again. "I can't keep them both…" she told herself, "It wouldn't be right to string them both along like that, and then they'd both end up hating me…" The thought of Drew tossing her a dead, dry brown roses and Ash leaving her behind flooded into her mind. She started to sniffle._ But how can I choose between them? _she thought to herself, _They've both been so wonderful to me. How can I choose to stay with one and shun the other_… "This is so hard!" She cried out, tears running slowly out of her eyes, "Why did they both have to tell me that they loved me in the same day…"

"Maybe I can help," A voice said to her from down the hall. She looked up from her lap and saw Brock walking down the hall. She knew he could see the tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Brock…" she sniffed, trying to hide her tears, "Where were you?"

"I was reading a story to my little brothers and sister," he explained, "My parents are doing great, but they still miss their big brother." Brock smiled, hoping it would catch and May would smile back. But he saw that in her eyes that she had been crying. "Now let me put my brothering skills to use," he said as he put his hand on her back. "Why are you crying, May?" Brock asked her, sitting down while holding a can of soda in his opposite hand.

"Oh, Brock!" May let the tears flow. She leaned over and sobbed fitfully into Brock's lap. She sat up, still crying. "It's awful! I have to choose between two people who have done so much for me, and I can't!"

"Okay, explain things from the beginning, and then we'll think about how to handle this." Brock tried to calm her.

"Thanks, Brock." May sniffed.

"That's what friends are for, May," Brock smiled.

"No, I mean it," May rubbed the tears from her eyes, "You're like the big brother I've never had. I know I can talk to you and you'll be there for me. Thank you."

Brock blushed with embarrassment.

May went over the events of the evening, starting with Pikachu's appearance to her, going to Drew's confession and proposition, and finally to Ash admitting his feelings for her, and the dialog they had before he left.

"Wow," said Brock, "I never even thought Ash was capable of that. Misty would be surprised."

"But I have to pick one now!" May cried to Brock, confiding in him like an older sibling, "If I pick neither, then, they'll both be heart broken! If I pick Ash, I might never see Drew again! If I pick Drew, I'll lose out on being with you guys anymore! Ash would be destroyed!"

Brock sat there for a moment, sipping on his soft drink, immersed in thought. An idea popped into his head. "Hey May, you like the dramatic romance novels, right?"

May blushed with embarrassment. "Well, I've always wanted to be in a romantic situation like that…" she sighed, "… but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I have an idea, if you want to go along with it…" Brock began to explain.

* * *

**Well, here's the end of the secound part? Do you like where the story is headed? We'll have the first battle in the next chapter, as well as possibly the first appearence of Team Rocket.**

**Questions/Comments/Reviews/etc accepted as always.**


	3. Confrontation

**Well, here's chapter 3. We only get to one of the things I mentioned in the last chapter's review in this one. Thanks for the reviews so far. I hope you all enjoy this chapter**

* * *

The next morning, Drew rolled over in his bed and opened his eyes. He saw that there was a piece of paper on the ground near the door that wasn't there when he went to sleep. Drew rubbed his green eyes to make sure he hadn't been seeing things. Once he confirmed its existence Drew stepped over to it in his night clothes, and picked it up to read it. 

"No!' he said through grinding teeth, "He won't get away with this…" Drew immediately began getting dressed. Thoughts of Ash and Pikachu flooded his mind, and anger was his emotional response. He quickly got dressed, got his Pokéballs from the Doctor, and ran out into the forest.

Ash, meanwhile, tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, his sleep tormented by nightmares.

_Ash found himself standing in a wide, grassy field, staring at May and Drew._

_May walked up to him. "Ash, I've decided to journey with Drew from now on," she told him, looking down._

_"What?" Ash exclaimed, "Why?"_

_"Because you're such a loser, Ash-y boy!" Gary's voice came out of Drew's mouth, "Why would she want to hang out with you, when she can be with me?" the bad memory taunted him._

_"I'm sorry, Ash." Tears began to wheal up in May's eyes. "I didn't mean for it to go this way"_

_"No!" Ash cried, reaching for his Pokéballs, only to find out he didn't have them._

_"Give it up, Ash!" Gary-Drew laughed, "You stink, and you'll never be as good as I am!"_

_"I beat you in the Johto League Silver Conference, Gary!" Ash yelled back at him, "And I'll do it again if you want me to prove it!"_

_Drew's expression changed, "I've never been to Johto before, Ash," Drew said in his regular voice, "Maybe that's where May and I will go next." Ash could only stand there stunned as May and Drew departed from him._

_"Farewell, Ash. I'll never forget all that you've done for me," May called back to him._

_"Smell ya later, Ash!" Drew yelled, again in the Gary voice._

Ash bolted awake from his nightmare in a cold sweat. He sat up in his sleeping bag and forced Pikachu to roll off.

"It was only a nightmare…" Ash gave a sigh of relief. He heard the chirping of various Kantonese flying Pokémon. The forest canopy held the direct sunlight from his eyes, but it was easily late morning. He turned to his belongings and saw a sack near his backpack with a note. He crawled over and read it.

I'M TAKING THE ONE YOU HOLD DEAR. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, YOU MUST BATTLE ME. I'LL BE WAITING IN THE FOREST BEHIND THE POKéMON CENTER AT 10AM.

YOUR RIVAL

P.S. YOUR POKéBALLS ARE IN THE BAG. YOU'LL NEED THEM.

Ash pictured Drew's face and crumpled the note in his fist. _What is he gonna do to May?_ he thought. Images from his nightmare reemerged from his subconscious. He remembered seeing Drew and May interact back in Hoenn. And he saw Gary and himself in those interactions. He remembered how Gary's words were like a dagger in his side. Whenever he thought he was doing well, Gary would show up and show just how far ahead of Ash he was. When he saw May trying to play catch up to Drew, Gary was the first thing to hit his mind. Even after defeating Gary and his Blastoise in the Silver Conference, even after putting their rivalry behind him, even after they departed as friends, Ash still remembered how insulting and harsh he was in his first journey through Kanto. And part of that memory would always be with him.

He roused Pikachu, collected his Pokéballs, put on his hooded sweatshirt, hat, and shoes, having slept in his baggy jeans, black tee-shirt and socks the night before. Stuffing the note into his pocket, he ran into the woods behind the center to a field where he knew his adversary would be waiting for him.  
When Ash arrived, he saw Drew waiting for him.

"You're late." Drew mocked him.

"No, you're just early!" Ash retorted.

"That was the lamest comeback I've ever heard." Drew flicked his hair in Ash's direction.

"Shut up, Gary!" Ash yelled at him, his blood boiling.

"Gary?" Drew looked confused, "Are you sure you know who I even am?"

Ash growled, "Let's just get this thing going, okay?"

Someone stepped out of the bushes between Ash and Drew.

"I'll be judging this battle," Brock announced walking to the side of the battle field.

"Brock?" Ash was puzzled.

"What are you doing here?" Drew asked.

Making eye contact with neither, Brock responded, "As an official Pokémon League Judge, I will remain impartial in the coming battle."

"Okay, Brock, what are the rules?" Ash asked him.

"This will be a Double Battle," he announced, "Each trainer will use two Pokémon with no substitutions." Brock turned to Ash, "Send out your first choice."

Ash thought for a moment. He wasn't sure about Drew's full lineup. He'd have to choose a Pokémon that had a relatively neutral type. His choice was obvious.

"Aipom, I choose you!" He lobbed the ball into the air. The Pokéball opened and in a flash of light, Aipom, the purple monkey Pokémon had materialized before them.

"Eii, Eii!" She hopped up and down, her paws up as if her were in a boxing match.

"Now, Drew, choose both of your Pokémon." Brock commanded.

"Alright!" Drew took two Pokéballs from his side and lobbed them into the air. "Go, Masquerain, Roselia!"

The balls opened and in two flashes of light, two Pokémon had appeared. A Flying-Bug Pokémon with a small blue body and large, impressive wings appeared. It had large, intimidating eye patterns on its wings. Next to it appeared a smaller Grass-and-Poison Pokémon. His is a small, green, leafy body. At the ends of his arms there were roses, one pink and one blue and one on each hand.

"Masquerain!" The Flying-Bug type called.

"Rose!" The Grass-and-Poison type bowed.

"Now Ash," Brock turned to him again, "Who will be your second Pokémon?"

"Why'd you even have to ask?" Ash smiled, "Pikachu, let's get 'em!"

Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder and took his place next to Aipom. "Pika!" he challenged Drew's Pokémon.

"Aipom and Pikachu versus Masquerain and Roselia!" Brock announced, "Let the battle begin!"

"Pikachu, let's start with Quick Attack! Aipom, cover him with Swift!"

"Roselia, stop Pikachu in his tracks with Magical Leaf! Masquerain, block Aipom with Silver Wind!"

Pikachu charged at Roselia with a blinding speed, but Roselia was firing glowing leaves at Pikachu. Aipom swung her tail and shot a ray of stars at the Magical Leaf, but the Swift attack was stopped by a glittering gust of wind full of the scales on Masquerain's wings.

"Pikachu, dodge it!" Ash cried.

Pikachu leapt into the air, but the leaves followed him and smashed into Pikachu, knocking him backwards.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Masquerain!" Ash commanded.

"Pikaachiiuuu!" Pikachu cried as he unleashed a massive electric charge from his body.

"Get out of the way, Masquerain!" Drew called to him.

But before Masquerain could escape, the Thunderbolt hit its mark. "Maaasque!" He cried out, flapping his wings to escape the charge.

"Roselia, use-" Drew started.

"Aipom, Focus Punch!" Ash ordered.

Aipom was already running close to Roselia, and with that command the hand on the end of her tail began to glow. Aipom furiously punched Roselia and sent him flying.

"Roselia!" Drew cried to him.

Roselia climbed to his feet. "Rose!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt Masquerain again!" Ash told him.

"Masquerain, climb out of Pikachu's range!" Drew ordered.

Pikachu unleashed another electric volley at Masquerain, but this time Masquerain had successfully flown high enough to get out of Pikachu's range.

"Roselia, Petal Dance! Masquerain, Ice Beam!" Drew commanded.

Roselia unleashed a flurry of pink petals at Pikachu and Aipom. Masquerain fired a cold, icy ray in the path of the Petal Dance attack. The petals flew through the Ice Beam and came out as small, icy daggers flying in Pikachu and Aipom's direction.

"Pikachu! Aipom!" Ash called.

But by then, the combination attack had already connected. The frozen petals cut against Pikachu and Aipom.

"Pikachu, get ready! Aipom, send Pikachu flying!" Ash ordered.

Aipom grabbed a tree branch in her small paws, swung completely around and was about to knock Pikachu in the direction of Masquerain.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Aipom smacked Pikachu into the air and a blazing trail was behind him as Pikachu flew towards Masquerain.

"Roselia, shoot Pikachu down with Magical Leaf!" Drew called.

"Aipom, counter Magical Leaf with Swift!" Ash shouted.

Roselia launched his glowing leaves at Pikachu, but they were cut off from their target with Aipom's stars blocked them, causing a midair explosion.

"I learned that one by watching May battle!" Ash cheered. Images of how his Flygon was defeated by May's Squirtle in the Kanto Grand Festival returned to Drew's mind.

"Masquerain, dodge it!" Drew called to him, gritting his teeth.

Masquerain flew laterally to dodge Pikachu's Quick Attack. Just when Pikachu and Masquerain were side by side, Pikachu shot a smile at Masquerain.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu's tail began to glow. Masquerain's eyes widened. Pikachu slammed his tail into Masquerain, knocking toward the ground.

"Masquerain!" Drew cried.

"Pikachu, wrap this one up with Thunder!" Ash shouted triumphantly.

"Pikaachuu!" Pikachu shot an immense lightning bolt from himself to Masquerain. Masquerain shrilled in pain as both he and Pikachu came plummeting to the ground.

"If you remember my match with May, then you must remember what happened next! Roselia, take Pikachu out with a Solar Beam before he can get away!"

"Roooose…" the small green Pokémon raised his roses into the air and absorbed the sunlight.

"Pikachu, try to get out of there," Ash called to him.

"Pika!" Pikachu flailed wildly to try to get out of the way, but other than turning in the air, he couldn't do anything.

"ROSE!" Roselia aimed his roses at Pikachu and unleashed a powerful beam of concentrated sunlight.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as the beam approached his friend.

A loud, popping noise was heard, then the beam came into contact with its target and created a huge explosion. Both sides of the battle waited for the smoke to clear.

* * *

**There's the end of chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed it. I always thought Drew and Gary were similar characters (You know, rivals to main characters, insulting along their journey), so I thought it would be interesting for Ash to compare his rivalry with Gary to May's rivalry with Drew. And maybe channel some untapped ragefrom Gary to Drew as part of the motivation to battle him. As for, Team Rocket, we are quite literally about 6 lines before they appear, so they'll be in chapter 4.**

**What did you think of the Gary angle I was trying to play up? Did you enjoy the battle so far? Who do you hope will win? Reviews/Questions/Comments appricated!**


	4. Complications

**Here's the next chapter. Am I getting a fan following?** **Heh, if I'm entertaining at least one person, then my writing has done its job, right? The battle reaches its conclusion today.**

**I came back and redid parts of this chapter, and tried to make it better. I've had this redone chapter done for a while, but church and work slowed down my work on Chapter 5, where I bring up the changes. The plot remained the same, but I tryed to make it more detailed.**

* * *

A gust of wind blew through the field and scattered the dust. In the middle of the field there were two Pokémon.  
Masquerain and Aipom.

Both were lying knocked out in the middle of the scene.

"No way!" Drew said, "How did Pikachu evade the attack?"

In the bushes across from Brock, three sets of eyes watched the battle.

"No way!" cried a cat-like Pokémon, "Ders no way dat da twerp's Pikachu coulda escaped dat!" He wagged his tail furiously and dug his sharp claws into the bush he was looking over.

"Shhh…" his grey-clad partners warned him.

The blue-haired man looked over at the field. One of his Pokémon, small and pink with wavy black hair sat on his shoulder. She mimicked his crouched posture and his hopeful gaze. "My, those are some powerful Pokémon. Think if we could get them to the Boss!" he squealed. His Pokémon happily mimicked him.

"James, that what we try every time!" The pessimistic red haired woman told him, "The reason we can't get them is because their so powerful!" She continued to brush her long, beautiful red hair.

"I suppose you're right, Jessie," James sighed. His Mime Jr. sitting on his shoulder mimed his sighing expression.

"Well," the cat Pokémon chimed in, the charm in the middle of his forehead taking a slight shine, "we could always go with the good ol' 'wait-till-dey-tire-demselves-out-then-swoop-in-an-grab-em' plan."

"That's a great idea, Meowth!" James' eyes sparkled.

"Mime, Mime!" Mime Jr. mimicked him.

"Then why hasn't it worked before?" Jessie sighed, continuing to brush her hair.

"Oh, yeah…" James was depressed again. Mime Jr. followed suit.

"Well, if at foist you don't succeed, try, try again," Meowth said, trying to rally the troops.

"Alright, I'm in!" James was happy again. Mime Jr. mimed his cheer.

"Oh, I guess I am, too," Jessie sighed, getting tired of brushing, "even if we lose again."

"Wooobuffet!" Jessie's blobby blue Pokémon chimed in, after escaping his Pokéball.

James, Mime Jr., and Meowth all sighed.

While that exchange was taking place, Ash and Drew looked for Pikachu, who had disappeared when the Solarbeam attack connected. "Where is Pikachu, anyway? Ash asked, concerned about his buddy's location. His eyes wandered to the tree where Aipom had been standing and saw Pikachu sitting there, looking as confused as the rest of them were.

"Aipom must have used her Baton Pass." Brock said, surveying the scene.

"Baton Pass?" Ash asked him.

"It's an attack that cause a Pokémon to switch places with another of its trainer's Pokémon. If the user has made itself faster or stronger, like with Agility, then that increase would be passed on to the other Pokémon. Aipom used it to switch places with Pikachu to protect it."

"That's what the popping sound was…" Ash recalled the loud popping sound that he had heard before the explosion.

Brock raised both of his hands into the air, "Masquerain and Aipom are unable to battle. This match will continue as a single battle with Pikachu battling Roselia. Continue the match!"

Both trainers recalled their fainted Pokémon. Drew thanked Masquerain for putting up such a great fight, while Ash thanked Aipom for taking the beam for Pikachu.

"We can't waste this opportunity, Pikachu! Thunderbolt him!" Ash rallied his partner.

Pikachu approached Roselia and launched a Thunderbolt. The attack struck the small Grass-Type, but it shook it off.

"Roselia, Petal Dance!" Drew commanded.

Roselia spun itself around and sharp flower petals rained across the field. Pikachu tried its best to get out of the way of some of them, but it ended up getting caught in it. The force knocked Pikachu away from Roselia. He landed on the ground with a resounding thud.

"Get up, Pikachu! I know you can do it, buddy," Ash cheered his partner on.

"Pi…ka" Pikachu pulled itself up on all fours. Roselia had a dazed expression on its face.

That's right, Ash thought, Petal Dance tires out the user, making it hard to focus its attacks!

"Pikachu, this is our shot! Take'em out with Volt Tackle!" Ash shouted, forcefully pointing at Roselia.

Pikachu started running toward Roselia, all the while chanting, "Pikapikapikapikapikapika…"

"Roselia, finish him with Solar Beam!" Drew commanded, trying to get a counteroffensive underway. Roselia, dazed, raised its roses into the air to collect sunlight.

"…pikapikapikapikapikapika…"

A golden aura began to surround Pikachu, and then completely enveloped it. He charged even faster toward Roselia.

"Roselia, now!" Drew commanded.

"…pikapikapika-PIK-KA!" he called, tackling into Roselia. The charge surrounding Pikachu was transferred into Roselia. The energy coursed into the flower Pokémon's body. He released his focus and launched the Solar Beam harmlessly away from Pikachu. The force of Pikachu's impact caused a small explosion. Pikachu flipped out of the smoke and landed on all fours, panting heavily. Roselia fell out of the smoke and lay there, struggling to stand. Pikachu and Roselia glared at each other, and then Roselia fell backwards, unconscious.

Brock raised his hand, "Roselia is no longer able to battle! Ash and Pikachu are the winners."

"Alright!" Ash ran over to Pikachu and picked him up. He snuggled Pikachu as he laughed. Drew, looking defeated, walked to his beaten Pokémon and picked him up.

Ash looked up at the clear blue sky. The sun was shining above his head in the bright, sapphire colored sky. Wait, sapphire colored... May! Ash remembered. He ran up to Drew with Pikachu on his shoulder and an angry look on his face, "Alright, I won. Now where's May?" he demanded.

Drew looked confused. "Me?" he asked, "I thought you kidnapped her?"

Ash, surprised, took the note out of his pocket. "But I got your note…" he said, showing it to him.

Drew glanced over the note. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the note he received. "You mean this one?" He showed his copy to Ash. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as Ash's – minus the note about his Pokéballs being in the attached bag."

"Something funny's going on here…" Ash noted.

Brock swallowed the lump in his throat. In the bushes behind Brock, two sets of eyes watched with growing interest.

"May," Max poked his sister, "what are they talking about? You haven't been kidnapped."

"It's part of the battle, Max," May brushed him off, trying to hear Ash and Drew talking. She had really expected more dramatic speeches from the boys who professed to love her. Something like she had read in the book she had brought with her into Kanto. Drew is probably too stuck on himself to do that, May thought, And Pokémon are always number one with Ash. If he had to choose between any girl and Pikachu, there would be some broken hearts, I'm sure.

"Well, why are they battling?" Max pestered her further. "You still haven't told me!"

Brock backed up to the bushes. "May, I think the jig is up. They're getting suspicious," he whispered discreetly.  
"I guess I better come clean, then, huh?" May gulped. May stood up and brushed the dirt off of her skirt and legs. She straightened her bandana and consciously tried to put the cutest look on her face she could muster. "Um, hey guys…" May said loud enough for both of them to hear, blushing and smiling as she stepped out of the bushes.

"May!" Ash and Drew turned their heads and exclaimed simultaneously.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chimed in, climbing onto Ash's shoulders.

Ash and Drew excitedly ran over to May, both relieved that no apparent harm had come to her.

"I was so worried about you," Ash said, smiling.

"I thought you were in danger!" Drew said, also smiling.

"This is my fault. I'm sorry I pitted you against each other," May sighed.

"So you planted the notes?" Drew asked her.

May blushed and put her hand behind her head in a nervous way. "It was the only the only thing Brock and I could come up with!"

Ash and Drew turned toward Brock. "You were in on this?" they both exclaimed.

Brock sweatdropped, "May was distressed about what to do after you both told her you loved her in the same night!"

Ash and Drew turned to face each other. "You're in love with May, too?" the shouted at each other.

"You two were fighting over my sister!" Max was shocked. Ash and Drew blushed.

"It's a long story…" May began.

A long metal arm with a red glove reached down and snatched Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder. A second came down and grabbed Roselia out of Drew's arms.

"Pikachu!" Ash called to him.

"Roselia!" Drew reached for his partner before he was pulled back to a familiar Meowth shaped hot air balloon hovering in the sky. Both Pikachu and Roselia were placed into tough, clear, plastic spheres. Pikachu tried an electric attack, but it had no effect on his confinement. Holding those spheres and sneering were Meowth and James of Team Rocket, with Jessie standing on the opposite side of Meowth.

"Not you guys again!" Ash shouted.

"Prepare for trouble while your back is turned!" Jessie began.

"Make it double from the lesson you should have learned!" James followed up.

"An evil as old as the galaxy!" Jessie lifted her gloved hand into the air.

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!" James lifted his. Mime Jr. mimicked this.

"And there's me!" Meowth leaped up.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Jessie closed her eyes and threw her arms back. She started to fall backwards

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" James caught her from behind with a rose in his mouth.

"Jessie!" She shouted her name toward the onlookers.

"James!" He turned his head to face the trainers.

"And Meowth are da names!" Meowth shouted when he leapt onto James' head.

Jessie and James stood up with Meowth standing on their shoulders.

"Anywhere there's peace in the universe…" Jessie announced with her hand held high.

"…Team Rocket…" James added, with his hand held up.

"…will be dere…" Meowth broke in with his paw in the air.

"…to make everything worse!" All three of them announced together, pointing at the twerps.

"Wobbuffet!" Jessie's Pokémon shouted, raising his hand to his head.

"Mime, Mime!" Mime Jr. mimicked Wobbuffet.

"Team Rocket!" Ash, May, Max and Brock shouted at their long-time nemeses.

"What are you guys doing here?" Drew asked them.

"The same thing we do every time!" James mocked him back. "We're here for Pikachu, and this time we've got it!"

"Not for long," Ash muttered, reaching for a Pokéball.

"Wait," May told him, "it's my fault that Pikachu and Roselia battled anyway, so I'll handle it."

"Wait," James interrupted. "Do you mean that twerpette got the boy twerps to fight each other?"

"Oh…" Jessie's eyes began to sparkle, "That's so romantic! It must be love!" Ash, May and Drew looked at each other, blushing. "It is! The boy twerps must be in love with the girl! This is just like the book I've been reading!"Wait, you've been reading the same book?" May asked her.

"If you mean, 'Gem-crossed lovers'? Of course!" Jessie announced, pulling her copy of the novel out of her pocket.

"I'm reading that, too!" May pulled her copy out of her fanny pack. The cover had a man in a red tunic with his sword clashing against another, held by a man with a green robe. In the background between the swords stood a princess draped in blue, and hovering over her was the image of an old man wearing a golden crown. The title of the book was embossed in reflective letters on at the top of the cover.

"I love this novel. It's so romantic!" May squealed.

"I know!" Jessie squealed back. "It's just so wonderfully sweet. I want to be in princess Sapphire's place and have two men fighting over me!"

Ash and Drew cringed over the similarity of their plight to what happened in the book May and Jessie were reading.

"Ruby and Emerald, the two bravest knights in the realm, had fallen in love with the beautiful princess Sapphire." Jessie started.

"But just as Ruby and Emerald began to fight over Sapphire's heart, the evil Count Topaz kidnapped her, and Ruby and Emerald had to put their differences aside to rescue her." May finished Jessie's quote of the back cover.

"That means…" Jessie giggled, "that the two twerp boys really are in love with you, right?" Ash and Drew felt their faces change from flesh colored to red.

"Yeah, but I couldn't choose between them…" May looked down, "so I had them fight each other. I was hoping I'd see something in the battle…"

Meowth whispered to James, "I thought that the twerp woulda ended up with the red-headed Gym Leader girl..."

"What?" James looked at him, surprised, "I thought she was with that kid from the Orange Islands now?" he whispered back.

Meowth sighed, "I guess we wouldn't know love if it constantly beat an' belittled us, huh?"

"I guess not," James sadly agreed. Mime Jr. copied this.

"Well, you know what comes next in the story…" Jessie smiled at the twerps while reaching for something inside the balloon, not paying James or Meowth any attention.

"What? I just got to that part a few days ago, and I haven't had a chance to read it recently," May asked her, puzzled.

Before May could react, the arm that Jessie was holding reached out and grabbed her around her narrow midsection. Ash reached for her hand as she was being pulled away. "May!" he shouted futilely. Her hand was within reach for only a moment, but then it was pulled away quickly.

"Ash!" May cried out to him, tears forming in her eyes.

Jessie held May above her head with her restrained in the arm's grasp. "Well, if you 'knights' want to save her, you're going to have to chase her." Jessie was giddy with glee as the balloon began to drift away.

"James, I think she's cracked…" Meowth whispered into James' ear.

"One bad egg spoils the whole carton, I'm afraid," James sighed. Mime Jr. sighed as well.

"Fat chance if you think you're getting away!" Ash tossed a Pokéball into the air, "Swellow, take that balloon down!"

In a flash, a navy blue bird Pokémon with a red crest and a white underside appeared in the air. His sharp eyes quickly eyed the balloon. "Swell!" He responded to his trainer's call.

"Take down the balloon with Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded, more anger in his voice than normal. Swellow began darting through the air, glowing streaks flying around him. He plunged through the balloon. Quickly deflating, the balloon fell into the distance. "Now we gotta- huh?" Ash began before a rumbling came over the forest. Before he could say more, a large purple ship came flying out of the forest near where the Balloon had gone down. It had a large skull and crossbones pattern on the underside. It boasted a face familiar to Ash and propellers where attached to the top, giving it flight capabilities. He gasped as he recalled the shape of the Team Rocket Pokémon he had battled until early in the Hoenn Region.

"You're birdie is useless against out Weezing Air-Mecha!" James taunted over the loud speaker. "Now we're going to take Pikachu, Roselia, and all of you little friend's Pokémon and there's nothing you can do!"

* * *

**I would have ended the chapter sooner, but I couldn't find a good place. But May has been kidnapped by Team Rocket! And Pikachu and Roselia, too! And with Swellow's attacks null against the hull of the Weezing Air-Mecha, how will Ash and Drew save the Pokémon they treasure and the girl they love?**

**Umm... yeah. I think I make a crappy narrator. But what about this plot twist? Or the obivious one about the notes? The same review/comment/question policy is in place. Why change a good thing, ne?**


	5. Crisis

**If you didn't just come from Chapter 4, I recommend you go back to it. (That's 'Complications', by the way). I updated the content, including new lines for various characters. **

**Anyway, more of that nasty 'plot' seeps into this chapter. And alot of things happen. This is the longest chapter since the secound one. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Catch you on the flip side!" Team Rocket shouted as the Weezing Mecha disappeared over the horizon.

"No…" Ash cried weakly as Team Rocket flew away.

"Flygon, let's go!" Drew tossed a ball into the air. The ball snapped open and a Dragon Type appeared. His body was green, with red lenses over his eyes. He stood confidently with its green diamond shaped wings, outlined in red. At the end of his long tail, three small diamond shaped scales snapped at the ground.

Drew leapt on to his back and turned and called to Ash, "C'mon are you coming"

"What?" Ash said, pointing at himself, "you want me to come along with you?"

"Yeah, so come on!" Drew shouted again. "Or I'll go save May, Roselia and your rat by myself," he added, knowing it would push Ash's buttons.

The buttons were pressed. Ash hopped on Flygon's back with Drew and wrapped his arms around his midsection for support, similar to what he and Max had done during their adventure with Jirachi. With a flap of his wings, Flygon took off and started heading out to where the Weezing Mecha had disappeared.

The Weezing Mecha had a higher flight speed than the Meowth Balloon, that was certain. But it couldn't hide its huge purple self as well as the balloon could. Ash and Drew saw the mecha flying in the distance. Drew tapped Flygon on the head and pointed in the direction of the mecha. He nodded and began flying toward the large purple airship. It was quite a ways away, but Flygon was making headway.

After a moment of flying, Ash worked up the courage to ask Drew something. "Hey Drew, why'd you want me to come along?"

Drew looked back at him with an answer he had been working on since he asked him to come along. "I figured I'd need help to chase down Team Rocket, and you seem like you have a lot of experience with them."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a complement," Ash laughed.

Also," Drew continued, "I want the one May has chosen to be there. If it's me, then just me coming would have been better." After he said that, he paused and looked at the purple figure in the distance. Ash wasn't sure if he was looking at May's captors, or taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He looked up and continued talking. "But if she chooses you, I want you to be there for her. Because I want May to be happy, Ash. I know you do, too."

Ash put a puzzled look on his face. "Drew, are you alright?" Ash asked him.

Drew looked back into his eyes, "I want us to promise each other something, Ash. We both love May very much. But when she's forced to choose someone, one of us is gonna get hurt. I want us to promise that we won't harbor hard feelings toward each other after this."

Ash smiled and nodded, feeling good to put this small rivalry behind them. "After all," Ash said, "we're both May's friends, so we should be happy for her whatever path she chooses!" Ash extended his hand in friendship to May's rival.

Drew smiled at him and shook his hand. "Thanks, Ash." He smiled, "Now let's find May!"

Meanwhile, as the Weezing Mecha puttered along, a girl was tied to a bar in the storage area with a small, white Pokémon standing watch over her. It was a rather small room, all of the walls, the roof and the floor all made of metal. The girl flicked her brown hair about wildly as she attempted to shake from the rope that bound her to the support pillar of the room. The Pokémon grinned and the charm on his head shone very faintly.

"If you don't untie me this instant, Meowth," May shouted at him, "I'll really let you have it when my friends come to save me!"

"And what are you gonna do about it, twerp-girl!" Meowth taunted her. He held up her yellow fanny pack just out of the reach of her kicking legs. "All yer Pokémon are locked inside da balls, so dey can't come to save ya!" Meowth laughed.

As he laughed, May thought for a moment. _He's right. My Pokémon won't come out unless I toss the balls. Wait… not all of them follow that rule!_

May took in a deep breath, and then shouted at the top of her lungs, "Munchlax! Lunch time!"

Meowth looked up in surprise as the pack lit up and a white ray shot out. A figure about his height, slightly taller, had appeared before him. His two tall dark blueish-green ears sat atop his large yellow mouth, with his round eyes sitting on the round blueish-green ball that seemed to connect them together. The dark color of his fur was evident in all places except for his belly, which shared colors with his mouth. Two fangs shot up from out of the mouth, and he licked his lips in anticipation of the promised meal.

"Munch!" the newly appeared Pokémon smiled at May, but then began to look around at its surroundings.

"Munchlax, get back my pack and the other Pokémon, and I'll feed you plenty when we get back to Brock!" May bribed her glutinous Pokémon. Unable to resist the promise of food, Munchlax's gaze focused on the bag Meowth was holding, determined to retrieve it and earn his promised reward.

"Alright, Fatso, if you want this…" Meowth extended his claws, "come an' get it!"

"Munchlax, Focus Punch!" May commanded.

Munchlax's hand began to glow with an intense aura as it leapt at Meowth and swung its fist. Meowth jumped over him and scratched Munchlax's face.

"Munch!" he cried as the claws raked his face.

"Do you like that?" Meowth laughed. At that moment Munchlax, stood and began to wiggle his fingers back and forth. The extended fingers began to glow. "What're you doin'?" Meowth stood there puzzled, "Is that Metronome?"

_C'mon Munchlax_, May silently hoped, _pull me a winner…_

It stopped wiggling his fingers and let out a loud 'pop' when the move had been completed. Everyone stood silent for a moment.

"What'd you do?" Meowth asked Munchlax.

Before he could get an answer, Munchlax opened his mouth and let fly a flurry of tiny red embers. The embers caught Meowth's tail on fire, so he quickly tossed the pack into the air, and proceeded to put out his tail. Munchlax leapt up and grabbed May's pack and began to unzip it.

"Great job, Munchlax, now open the other Pokéballs for some back up!" May cheered for him. She saw that Munchlax had gone for her Pokéblock case and was about to gorge himself on 'May's Pink Surprise'. "No! Not now!" May squirmed, "Rescue now, food later!" While he was pulling out the case, a Pokéball popped out and opened on the ground. A larger Pokémon came out. She had three orange feathers on her head. The rest of her head was yellow, with her red eyes showing her confusion. She had sharp claws on each of her arms, and powerful orange legs. The sharp talons on her feet were brown, giving this Pokémon a chicken like appearance.

"Combusken!" May gave a sigh of relief, "c'mon over here and untie me!"

"Combusk!" she cheerfully replied. She ran behind May and used her sharp claws to cut the ropes restraining May.

May stood up and stretched. She ran over to Munchlax and pulled his ball out of her pack and recalled him, hoping to save what Pokéblock she had left. She reached down and picked up Combusken's Pokéball, and slid it into the bag. "Now, let's turn the tables on Meowth…" she sneered in his direction, while he coddled his tail. This caused him to look up.

When May began to approach him, Meowth leapt up and ran out the automated door into the hall, screaming "Help! Jessie! James! Prison break!"

May followed him out the door, but he had disappeared into one of the other two rooms in the air-mecha. She pulled out her Pokédex and brought up Weezing's picture. She saw the three orbs on it and, given the size of the room she was in, came to the conclusion that she was in the smallest one. She took a guess and thought that the control room would be the largest, and also guessed that that was were Jessie, James, and Meowth would be. She walked up to one of the other doors, not knowing which would lead her to Team Rocket. The door opened to her and Combusken's presence there.

Meanwhile, outside, Ash, Drew and Flygon had caught up with the Weezing air-mecha and had landed on the middle-sized orb. They looked into the eyes from above to see the Rockets piloting the mecha from the inside of the larger head. They went over to the second one with eyes to try to get a surprise attack on them after breaking in. Looking into the smaller window, they saw two small orbs containing their Pokémon.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Roselia!" Drew cried out as well.

The two Pokémon couldn't hear them, so they kept looking sadly at the door.

"It's no good," Ash grunted, "they can't hear us…"

"Flygon, try Flamethrower on the window!" Drew ordered his Dragon-Type.

Flygon took in a deep breath, and blew flames out of his mouth. The fire hit the window, but after it cleared, the window looked no worse for the wear.

"It must be protected from attacks on the outside," Drew hypothesized. "If we could get an attack to hit it from the inside…"

Just then the door opened and a bewildered May stepped in.

"May!" both of the boys shouted simultaneously. They began to bang on the glass.

May looked up and saw both of their mouths flapping, but couldn't hear them at all.

"Ash! Drew!" she shouted as she ran to the window. Pikachu and Roselia's gaze followed her and they saw their trainers on the outside.

"It's no good," Drew thought out loud, "She can't hear us…"

May turned around and helped Pikachu and Roselia out of their confinement. Pikachu shook for a bit, stretched, and was ready to go. Roselia looked forlornly at the window and enjoyed the sunlight. Ash knew that he could communicate with Pikachu without having to be heard, and began to mouth an unhearable command to Pikachu, who saw him and read his lips.

"Pipikachu, pika pika Pikachu pika!" he said to Combusken, pointing at the window.

"Combusken!" she agreed, turning to the window. Her arm began to glow and she ran to the window, leapt at it and broke through it with an uppercut. Ash and Drew caught Combusken to prevent it from flying off.

"Thank you, Combusken," Ash whispered to her. A small blush appeared on her face.

Ash and Drew lowered themselves and Combusken down into the room with May. Drew ordered Flygon to wait outside, incase they needed to make a quick escape. With that, Flygon began to fly alongside the mecha.

"Glad to see you again, buddy," Ash cuddled Pikachu in his arms. "Thank you, May. I don't know what we'd do if you didn't show up in there."

"You should thank Munchlax and Combusken. They're the ones who got me away from Meowth," May presented Combusken to Ash. Ash and Combusken smiled at each other. Drew had recalled Roselia into his ball for rest after he made sure his Pokémon was okay.

"Now we gotta stop this thing from stealing any more Pokémon." Ash announced to the group. They agreed, but as they were turning around, Team Rocket ran into the door.

"Team Rocket!" the three trainers shouted.

"Pipikachu!" the Pokémon added.

"It's a twerp triple team!" The members of Team Rocket shouted.

"How did you two get in?' Jessie asked them.

"With a little help from yours truly!" May winked.

"Com-busken!" the Fire-type added!

"Well, your little Prince Charmings aren't going to get the best of us this day!" James taunted them.

"I wish my Prince Charming would realize what he has…" Jessie muttered to herself.

"What was that?" James turned to her, almost shouting.

Jessie blushed a little. "Nothing…" she lied.

"That's a lie!" James retorted, "I can tell!"

"Well, I can wish for love, too, if I want! Look at the twerps over there!" Jessie shouted back.

"I don't know who this guy is, but get a grip, woman! We need to catch Pikachu!" James yelled back.

"And again you miss the hint…" Jessie said smugly.

"What are you babbling about?" James was getting angry.

"Will you two stop arguin'?" Meowth shouted at them, "We need to get Pikachu back, at least!"

"You guys argue like an old married couple," May said, giggling. Both Jessie and James got a light blush on their cheeks.

"Alright, let's get this battle started!" Jessie turned to the children.

"Right," James obeyed.

"Go, Seviper!" Jessie threw her Pokéball.

"Go, Cacnea!" James tossed his.

"Go, Absol!" Drew flung one of his Pokéballs into the air.

"Sceptile, I choose you!" Ash lobbed his Pokéball into the air.

Team Rocket's Pokéballs unleashed a highly stylized black and gold serpent and a small, round cactus-like Pokémon. The serpent Pokémon had large, red eyes and patches of purple on his face. Long red fangs and a red blade on the end of his tail gives this Pokémon an intimidating appearance. His partner has a small yellow flower on her head and needles along her arms. She was short compared to even Corphish. The green Pokémon turned around and leapt into James' face, causing him to scream in pain and pull the cactus Pokémon off.

"Seviper!" The serpent trilled.

"Cacnea!" the cactus Pokémon gleefully added.

When Drew's Pokéball opened, a creature coated in long, course fur appeared. He had a blue face, and atop that face was a blue scythe. The Pokémon stood on four legs and had sharp, piercing eyes. Next to him appeared Ash's tall Grass-type. He had a reptilian appearance, with large yellow seeds lining his back. His tail was like the trunk of a palm tree and sharp leaves grew out along his forearm, behind his claws.

"Absol!" it announced his presence.

"Tile!" the gruff Pokémon challenged Team Rocket, placing at twig into his mouth.

"Seviper, start with a Poison Tail on Absol!" Jessie commanded.

"Use Pin Missile on Sceptile, Cacnea!" James followed up.

"Sceptile, Quick attack!" Ash told his Grass-Type.

"Absol, use Razor Wind!" Drew commanded.

Sceptile lunged at Cacnea, knocking her off-balance. The cactus Pokémon's Pin Missile misfired at the ceiling. Meanwhile Seviper's glowing purple tail smashed into Absol, who was gathering energy for Razor Wind. The impact knocked the disaster Pokémon into the air, but Absol turned around and launched a blade of wind at Seviper while in midair. The blade knocked Seviper back into Team Rocket, slamming them through the wall into the control room of the Mecha.

Meanwhile, Cacnea and Sceptile continued their duel. Cacnea began spinning her arms at Sceptile, but his forearms leaves became green, glowing blades. The clashed their arms together, but Sceptile easily over-powered the smaller Pokémon. She bounced back into the control room and stood to face the attacker.

Team Rocket began to stand up after the impact. Seviper turned to Absol and hissed. He lunged at Absol and bit at his side. Absol shook him off and launched a wave of water from the ground at Seviper. The snake Pokémon jumped out of the way of the wave, only for it to come into contact with the control panel.

"Oh, no!" Meowth cried, "The system may be electric-proof, but it ain't water proof!"

At those words, the control panel began to short-out. Sparks of electricity shot out around the various buttons and levers on the control panel.

Sceptile saw this and thought of a plan to take advantage of it. He opened his mouth and shot some glowing seeds at Cacnea. The enraged Grass-type fell into Sceptile's trap and began to fire Pin Missiles at him. The evolved Pokémon leapt out of the way and the pins shot holes in the control panel. Parts of the panel began to go up in small explosions. The entire mecha began to shake.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Drew exclaimed. He turned to the outside and called for Flygon. The Dragon-Ground type showed up and Drew, Ash (with Pikachu on his shoulder) and May all got on his back. Flygon took off and flew outside of the Mecha.

After getting a certain distance away, Flygon turned and watched the Mecha suffer a massive explosion, destroying the hull and sending Team Rocket flying. "How did a malfunctioning panel blow up the entire mecha?" Jessie shouted as she, James, Meowth, Seviper and Cacnea where hurtled through the air.

"I thought that if everything was interconnected, dat da system would hold up betta…" Meowth said sadly.

"If it wasn't for those lover boys, we'd have gotten away with it!" James cursed his luck.

"I hope some day the love of my life comes to my rescue!" Jessie sighed.

"Well, I think we can all agree that love stinks!" Meowth screamed.

"Wooobuffet!" he agreed.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" the group cried. They disappeared in the bright blue sky.

Flygon began to turn and fly away, after the trainers had a chance to see Team Rocket tossed away like so much trash. Drew had noticed that his Pokémon wasn't flying as fast as it could. He saw sweat pouring out of Flygon's forehead. "Crud…" Drew said behind clenched teeth, "Flygon isn't used to carrying this much weight!" He turned to his friends. "We have to find a place to land. Flygon can't carry all three of us!"

But before they could even began to look, Flygon began to falter. May's grip slipped and she began to slide off Flygon.

"May, try to hold on!" Ash turned and saw her falling. Her hands couldn't grip Flygon's hide, and she began to slide on the thin part of his tail. Flygon let out a screech and flicked his tail skyward, sending May flying above the heads of Ash and Drew.

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**Out of one mess and into another. May just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Is she suffering form Damsel in Distress syndrome? Perhaps. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it. Feel free to Review/Comment/Question/Etc, like in the previous chapters.**


	6. CrashLanding

**I'm really proud of these next two chapters. I typed them both up as one, but I realized I needed to put them into two parts to try to keep the pacing together, or some such. The action starts to slow down in this chapter, and lots of shippyness finds its way in. Enjoy Chapter 6!**

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"May!" Ash and Drew shouted. Ash turned and leapt from Flygon and dove to catch May, who was belting out an ear drum melting screech, her eyes clenched shut. When she felt herself land in the strong arms of a boy, she stopped screaming and opened her tear filled eyes to see Ash looking down at her, giving her a smile.

"Grab onto me, May," he told her, calmly yet sternly. The girl obeyed and wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, her face planted in his chest. Ash used one of his newly freed hands to reach for a Pokéball. He held it out and opened it in the palm of his hand, and his familiar Swellow appeared. "Swellow, grab on to my shoulders and help us glide down!" Ash commanded his Flying type. Pikachu, currently residing on Ash's shoulder unzipped and climbed into Ash's pack as the swallow Pokémon obeyed and landed his talons on Ash's shoulders. The combined weight of Ash, May, Pikachu, and both of their packs took the Pokémon by surprise and he dug his talons into Ash's flesh. Swellow felt what was happening and gawked at his trainer's face. Ash looked up at him and shouted, "It's alright. Just do what you gotta do!" Swellow nodded and spread his wings to help lower their airspeed.

Flygon tiring, and Masquerain still weakened from the battle, Drew could only sit and watch as Ash and May fell towards a lake. "Damn it…" he cursed himself with clinched fists. He decided to fly his Pokémon to the center to get it healed, and return with more help.

His talons gripping his trainer's flesh, Swellow glided Ash and May to the best of his ability towards a lake below them. As he descended, he could feel himself ripping his friends flesh. Ash cringed as the sharp claws of his Pokémon cut against him. May's eyes filled with horror when she saw what Swellow was doing to Ash. Before she could voice her concern, Swellow loosened his grip on Ash, letting his talons slip from the boy's shoulders into the ring on the top his pack. Ash let his grip on May go for a moment to let his arms slip out of his pack and allow Swellow to carry it himself. Afterwards he immediately clutched May again in his arms as they plummeted into the cold waters of the lake. Pikachu looked down as he saw Ash and May fall into the lake. "Pikapi…" the electric Pokémon muttered sadly. Swellow flew and landed on the shore of the lake, waiting for Ash to surface.

Amidst all of the Water Pokémon in the lake, Ash held May in his arms and swam with his legs to what looked like to him the shore. Seeing the surface of the water above him, he held May above him in order to get her to breach the surface first. May opened her mouth gratefully took in the fresh air. Ash stood up from under the water and held May in his arms. He walked up to the shore and dropped May into the grass. Ash fell to his knees and rolled over on to his back, breathing heavily. After coughing for a bit, May sat up and looked over at Ash. It was obvious he was in a great deal of pain. Swellow and Pikachu flew from the other side of the lake, having landed opposite of where Ash had decided to swim. The bird Pokémon stood on his master's pack, and Pikachu leapt out of it and ran to his friend and placed his hands on Ash's face. Ash opened his eyes to see Pikachu, and the electric Pokémon smiled in relief. Ash attempted to sit up, but the pain in his shoulders dragged him back down. May crawled over to the injured trainer. "Oh, Ash…" she saw the holes in his sweatshirt. The threads loosely covering the punctures were stained with blood. She gripped the bottom of his sweatshirt and began to pull it over his head.

"May, what're you…" Ash managed to get out before the shirt covered his mouth. The movement of his arms caused him to scream in pain. Luckily for May, his scream was muffled in the wet sweatshirt. After the sweatshirt was discarded, May knew that the black shirt the boy was wearing had to come next. She could see the bleeding through the shirt. Ash watched with some kind of horror on his face as May continued to undress the upper-half of his body. The black shirt fit his lightly muscular form more tightly than the sweatshirt, and being wet made it stick to Ash even tighter. May tugged on his hard and managed to pull off the offending shirt. Once again, Ash screamed when his arms were moved by the garment. This time the scream hit May's ears, but she knew she had to do something. With out being treated, Ash could die from his wounds. Tears appeared in her eyes, especially after she saw Ash's shoulders without clothing. Blood was streaming down his body in a slow, yet steady, flow.

In desperation, May untied the wet bandana from her hair. She rung it out tightly and then, using as much strength as she could muster, ripped her bandana in half. Ash watched as her a few tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She leaned over top of Ash and began to tie one half of her bandana around each of her friend's wounds. "Let me know if it's too tight…" May whispered to him as she tugged the fabric taught around the wound and began to tie it tightly. Ash cringed a bit when May finished tying the first shoulder. She looked down at his face, her eyes full of tears and worry.

He forced himself into a smile, and said, "It's alright. Thank you, May." She nodded and began to tie the other half of her bandana around her friend's shoulder.  
May sat back and stood up. Her wet hair clung to the sides of her face. Her wet clothes showed off her figure even more than usually. Ash's hat, sweatshirt and black tee where in a muddy pile, having been hastily discarded by May. The sight of May soaking wet and the thought of himself half-exposed brought a smile, and then a chuckle to his face. Soon, he couldn't help it from boiling over into a full laughter. May began to snicker as well, and then exploded with laughter, falling down on her rear, laughing hysterically.

Swellow and even Pikachu, who is normally in sync with Ash, were confused at what had just happened. The Pokémon stood dumbstruck as the trainers laughed so loudly that the native Pokémon began to fly away.

"Are you gonna be alright, Ash," May asked him, wiping the tears that had formed from the laughter away from her eyes.

"I think so," Ash attempted to sit up. He strained for a bit, but he ended sitting up. Pikachu gleefully leapt into Ash's lap and began to coo affectionately. Swellow smiled as much as a bird could, and then looked to where Ash's wounds were covered by May's bandana. He looked down and turned away from the others. Ash turned to Swellow and gave him some encouraging words. "Don't be so down, Swellow. You only did what you had to do," the trainer told his Pokémon, smiling. "If you didn't do it, May and I could have died"

"Swellow Swe!" The Pokémon protested, feeling he should be penalized for his actions.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Ash reached his hand over to the Flying-type. He clutched the bird by is underside and placed him gently into his lap. "I don't think any less of you because of this. You're still my friend." He continued talking, stroking his Pokémon's feathers. "I know you'd never hurt me on purpose. I love you, Swellow. You're a part of my family, just like my Mom and Pikachu and everyone else." These reassuring words, combined with the stroking he was receiving, managed to calm Swellow's nerves. Ash slowly reached for the Pokéball that belonged to Swellow, picked it up, expanded it to its maximum size, and pointed it at Swellow. "I think it's time for you to take a rest, Swellow." Ash said. A beam of red light shot from the ball to Swellow, reverting him into pure energy. Swellow returned to his Pokéball and Ash sighed, looking at the lake, with Pikachu sitting at his feet.

May, however, was staring at Ash, consumed with the scene she had just witnessed. Ash had leaned over to pick up his distraught Pokémon, even though his shoulders were in so much pain. He calmed him down by reassuring Swellow that he hadn't done anything wrong. He gently stroked Swellow, his calming touch easing the swallow Pokémon's distress. _And to top it all off_, May thought, _he told Swellow that he loved him. Even easier than he could tell me._

Shaking the thoughts from her head momentarily, May spoke up to break the silence. "Hey, Ash, are you gonna be able to walk?" she asked him. "In could try to carry you if you need me to"

Ash blushed with embarrassment. "I uh… think I can do it on my own…" he stated. He struggled with his arms, but was unable to stand up. "I think I might need some help up first," he chuckled.

May walked around to his backside and sat down. Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him in tightly. "N-now, just use your legs to stand up, alright? I'll help pull you up…" she said, slightly blushing. She was glad Ash hadn't been able to see. Ash pulled in his legs and began efforts to stand. May spread her legs apart so that they were alongside Ash's legs. She bent her knees, and then began to pull herself and Ash upright. May's arms squeezed Ash tightly, causing him to lose his breath. When May had finished the process of getting him to his feet, she let him go, and Ash breathed deeply for a moment. May thought for a moment,_ Great, he's gonna get on me for squeezing him so tight._

"Thanks, May," Ash said after catching his breath. This response caught May by surprise. Normally when Ash's personal space was invaded, he got extremely defensive, like with Tory in LaRousse City. "Could you carry my pack, May? I don't think my shoulders are up to it." May saw Ash smiling, but still weakened. She gave him a smile back, and turned and picked up his pack.

While she was leaning down to pick it up, Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder. "Oh, Pikachu!" May laughed, "Shouldn't you be hanging around Ash"

"You know as well as I do that if Pikachu was on my shoulder, it would hurt," Ash told May in a slightly teasing way. May nodded and welcomed Pikachu onto her shoulder. May put on Ash's pack, with the bottom of it sitting atop her own, wet pack. That was when May realized that she was still wet from her fall into the lake. She decided that it would be best not to worry about that right now, and it would be better to get a move on, to see if they could find a way back to their friends at the Pokémon Center.

"But how are we gonna find our way back?" May thought out loud. Nether of them had anyway to contact Brock, Max or the Pokémon Center.

"I think we should start moving," Ash advised her, "We don't know how long it'll take for anyone to find us. We also need to make sure we don't disturb the wild Pokémon too much and that we can make sure we don't get caught by Team Rocket"

May agreed, placing Ash's wet shirt and sweatshirt in the pack. She carried Ash's belongings away from the lake as the twosome plus Pikachu began walking through the forest. After maintaining small talk with Ash for a while, May's mind wandered back to Ash's compassion for Swellow. She remembered when she saw him sleeping next to Pikachu after he had fallen ill shortly after she met him, way back in Hoenn. _Ash would always love his Pokémon more than any girl he met_, she thought. _But that's like him. He sees his Pokémon as part of his family. Some he treats like his brothers, like Pikachu. Others_, May found herself thinking, _he treats like his children. Sure, he disciplines them, but he loves them more than anything. More than me, anyway._ She turned her thoughts away from that and remembered how he had taken Swellow into his strong arms. He was so gentle with Swellow. So kind. So loving. Ash would always be awkward while interacting with other people, but he could always express himself perfectly to his Pokémon. May realized this, and now knew where Ash's loving side had been all this time. He's not confidant around girls, she thought, and that's why he doesn't really understand love. May caught herself. _Really doesn't understand 'romance.'_ she corrected herself._ He easily knows what love is. Anyway, that's why he stuttered when he admitted to me how he felt. He was afraid that I would reject him, but because of his fear that I was in love with Drew, he thought that he would have to do something. That is so 'Ash' of him. It's just like when he battles_, she thought._ Ash does some pretty unpredictable things when backed up to a wall._

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**Remember Clark the Composer in the Houen League, when Ash had to bounce his Glalie around to build up speed? That's as unpredicable as they come, really. Anyway, that was my rational for having Ash spit out his feelings in chapter 2, because he himself felt like he had to, or else he would lose May.**

**Did you enjoy chapter 6? 7's just around the bend! Of course, I'd like it if you Review'D/Comment'D/Question'D, as well. **

**Arhm... I've been watching too much Homestar Runner recently.**


	7. Campout

**I honestly had no idea this was going to head in this direction. In my origonal thought process, they would have ridden Flygon back to their friends and the story would have ended soon after. But this will let me include another story arc later soon. It should start somewhere in the next chapter. But don't hold ypur breath. I never expected this chapter to go on so long. Which is why I had to break it up into two. But I already explained that. Anyway, Chapter 7, Stage on!**

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**"Hey, May," Ash called to her. She snapped out of her thoughts and saw that she and Ash stood in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. The sky had turned orange as the sun set behind the trees. "I think this would be a good time to start setting up camp. We need to make sure we don't over do it." May looked over to Ash. He still hadn't put on a shirt, but the bandana had seemed to be dry, having been rung out and warmed by Ash's body heat. She herself, on the other hand, was still wearing her wet clothes. Ash sat against a tree and turned to May. "We probably need to get a fire going, so we can cook some food," he smiled. 

"Umm… What food?" May asked him.

"Didn't you bring anything?" he asked.

"I didn't think I was gonna get kidnapped by Team Rocket, so I didn't plan for an extended trip," May shouted, annoyed at his question. Ash looked at her, surprised. She realized what had happened and looked at her feet. "I'm sorry, Ash, I didn't mean to"

"It's alright," Ash comforted her, "today's been a rough day. We both need a good nights sleep." Ash turned to Pikachu. "Hey, buddy, could you get into my stuff and get out the food I bought?" Pikachu hopped off of May's shoulder to the spot on the ground where May had put down Ash's pack. He nimbly unzipped the smaller pocket, and pulled out a small, sealed package of potato chips. Ash laughed when he brought it out, "In was gonna snack on that after I woke up while I waited for the rest of you guys. Before the entire Drew and Team Rocket thing happened"

May turned to her pack and rummaged through it. _My Pokéblock case, my ribbon case, my… stuff_, she quickly hid it. But with no food in sight, she whimpered.

"Hey May, you want some?" Ash asked her. May turned to him. He had opened the bag and taken a few chips for himself. He held it out in his hand, offering her his food. She slowly took it from his hand and took a solitary chip from the bag. She nibbled on it slowly, turning to look at Pikachu, who had opened his can of Pokémon food and was eating happily. May's stomach let out an audible growl. "You can eat more if you want," Ash told her, smiling. Grateful, she took a few more chips out of the bag and ate them. "Do you want anymore?" she asked him. He shook his head, saying, "You're not as used to traveling without food as I am. You'll need that to keep your strength up." He then asked Pikachu to pass him his canteen, and the Pokémon obliged. Ash drank the water within, as May got out her own and took a drink.

It was getting dark, so May went searching for some fire wood. Pikachu stayed with then injured Ash, who hummed a quiet song to himself. Or, at least he thought he was quiet. Ash was humming quite loudly. May enjoyed the music as she walked around the camp site, gathering wood. When she thought she had gathered enough, shebegan walking back to set up a camp fire like she had seen Brock do so many times before. _Brock_, she thought. She was worried about her friend and her brother. They were probably at the Pokémon Center, worried about her and Ash, just as she and Ash worried about them. She picked up one more stick and headed back into the camp site. Ash calmly stroked Pikachu's yellow fur. Having neither the rocks nor the expertise, May resorted to Combusken to light the fire. After recalling her starter, she sat across from Ash and began talking to him about various things. Like more of his adventures before he met her. About the things he did when he was in Kanto the first time. His adventures in the Orange islands. His Johto journey. Anything to take her mind off of her current situation.

In the middle of a story about an old pilot and his Noctowl, Ash asked May, "Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

"What?" May was surprised. "What do you mean?"

"W-well…" Ash blushed, "you know how I feel..."

"About?" May asked.

"A-ab-about you…" Ash stuttered off.

"Oh." May blushed. She had all but forgotten what had happened between them one day ago. "It's surprising, I guess," she started. Only now she didn't have anywhere to take it. "I mean, I didn't expect you to pour it out like that. In a way, though, I'm glad. If you didn't say anything, I may have taken Drew's offer"

"Drew's offer?" Ash was curious. Pikachu's ears perked up.

"Well," May blushed heavier. "Drew asked me if I would travel with him instead of you"

Ash swallowed loud enough for May to hear. "A-and what did you tell him"

"He didn't give me a chance to answer," May continued. She added, "Then you and Pikachu popped up and you spilled the beans to me. Then I got all sorts of confused"

Ash let out a sigh of relief. "Have you decided if you want to go with him yet?" Ash asked her.

May looked into the fire for a moment. "No. That is, I haven't decided yet. I guess I like Drew, but I also like…" May had trapped herself in a sentence. She quickly dug her way out. "… traveling with you guys. I mean, if it wasn't for you, Ash, I probably wouldn't even be a Pokémon Coordinator."

"What do you mean?' Ash asked her. "Didn't the Rustboro contest convince you to be a coordinator?"

"Yeah, but to be honest," May began to tell him a secret she had kept from him and Brock; "I didn't really even like Pokémon at first. With my dad being a Gym Trainer, they had always seemed to be taking up his time. And when he became Petalburg Gym Leader, I almost never saw him. I just went to Professor Birch's that day to get a Pokémon so that Dad would be happy with me." She looked at the stars and sighed. "But what I really wanted to do was travel the world. I wanted to go to places I'd never been, and see all sorts of sights. My Pokémon would just be along for the ride." She turned her head to Ash. "But, then I met you. I remember when you were looking for Pikachu near Littleroot Town." Both of them looked to Pikachu, who had long by then curled up near the fire, and began to sleep. "You were so worried about him. I remembered watching you stay up all night with him, to make sure he got better. I saw…" her mouth got dry, so she swallowed some saliva and continued, "… how you loved. And it rubbed off on me. I wanted to be someone who could love like you could." She smiled at Ash, "I wanted Torchic and me to be as close as you and Pikachu." She got depressed and looked away. "But I kept messing up. I couldn't tell Torchic what to do, and she was always getting into trouble." She looked at Ash again, "But you believed in me. You were always there, like a safety net. Always ready to give advice when I needed it. Always ready to save me when I needed it. Always looking out for me." She realized she was babbling. "Oh, I just don't know when to be quiet, do I," She laughed.

Ash laughed, too. "Well, I'm glad I could be such a good influence on you, May. Now I know how Brock and Misty felt when they saw me become a good trainer." His gaze narrowed, "But you still haven't answered the original question.

"Hmm?" May questioned him.

"Do I make you feel uncomfortable?" Ash reminded her.

Oh, she thought. That question. "No. Not at all," she told him. "I know you, Ash, and I know you'd never do anything to the people you love. But like I said, I haven't been able to give it much thought." She looked into the fire. "I was hoping to see one of you look really bad in the battle earlier today," she admitted to him. "But both of you had my best interest in mind. So I guess I know now that I have to face this question on my own"

A sharp wind blew through the campsite, threatening the fire. May once again was reminded that she was wearing wet clothes. She shuddered loudly. "Hey May," Ash asked her, "Do you wanna change into some of my dry clothes"

May blushed. "What? Your clothes"

"It's gonna get cold, and you could get sick if you spend the night in wet clothes like that. I have some dry clothes in my pack. I know I need a dry shirt and pants," Ash explained. "And don't you wear just a big, yellow shirt when you sleep, anyway?"

"B-but, it's your clothes!" May exclaimed, "It wouldn't be right"

"Whoa, chill down, May," Ash smiled, "It's not like you have to live in 'em. And besides, we could let your clothes dry overnight, so you could change back before we got moving again." May let out a muffled growl. "And it was just an offer, anyway," Ash completed his train of thought.

With the choices of being cold, or being warm, May chose to be warm. "Okay, but you better not look when I change!" She warned him, half jokingly.

"I won't," Ash laughed, "I'll be busy trying to get a shirt on, and a dry pair of pants"

May opened his pack and pulled out two shirts, and a pair of pants. She tossed one shirt and the pants in the direction of Ash, and proceeded into the forest until she was sure he couldn't see her. It was for principle only, though. She knew Ash wasn't like that. He wouldn't try to look at her naked. A teenage boy he was, but he respected his friends, and wouldn't sneak up on her while she was changing. She heard a loud, boyish growl from the campsite. Ash was apparently having trouble changing as well. She undressed down to her underwear, placing her wet clothes in a pile. May knew that all of her other underwear was wet, so she had to keep the pair she had on. She did, however, remove her bra. She placed it on the pile neatly. She was expecting to feel vulnerable, but instead, she felt normal. The only other human around for miles was Ash, and he would never sink as to see her naked. She put on the shirt she had borrowed form Ash. It looked the same as his other shirts. Plain black except for an orange stripe across the midsection. Except the midsection was where her chest was. May sighed, hoping not to draw attention to herself from Ash, seeing as she wasn't wearing a bra anymore, anyway. The shirt was large on her, as the boy had predicted, and it covered her underwear completely. She grabbed her clothes and walked in her shoes without socks back to the camp site.

Ash was more mobile than she had given him credit for. In the time she had taken to change, Ash had set up a clothes line, hung his wet clothes on it, and set up his sleeping back where May was sitting before. Ash had moved back to the tree he was leaning against all that time and was waiting for her to return. He was wearing his black shirt and his baggy, blue pants. "Here," he said to her, "to complete the illusion." He tossed his red and black cap at her. She caught it in her hands and looked at him. Seeing the insistence in his eyes, she put it on.

Even May couldn't pass this opportunity up. "Go, Sceptile!" she ordered. "Use Bullet Seed!" May and Ash let out a laugh. May turned to the clothes line and set her clothes along it. She was worried that Ash might say something when he saw her pin up her bra, but no words exited his mouth.

"Well, it's getting late," Ash said to her, "We'd better get to sleep. We don't know how long it's gonna take for us to find everyone else."

"Where are you gonna sleep?" May asked him, obviously curious about the sleeping bag.

"Right here," he answered dumbly, indicating the area he was sitting in.

"Then why is your sleeping bag over here?" she asked him.

"It's for you to use, since yours is wet," he answered.

"Nu-uh," she shook her finger at him, "I'm not gonna let you play the hero all the time, Ash Ketchum!" She picked up the bag and unzipped it. It unzipped until it was blanket-like in form. She walked over to Pikachu and picked him up. The drowsy Pokémon was as confused as Ash was. May stepped in front of him, dropped Pikachu into his lap, and sat down next to him. May then tossed the blanket over Ash and herself, covering the three of them.

Ash pulled the blanket off of his head. "What are you doing?"

"We're sharing this, so neither of us gets cold," May snorted at him.

"Okay…" Ash yawned. Normally he would argue back, but it was too late. "Goodnight, May." He pulled a yellow mass of fur out from under the cover. "Goodnight, Pikachu." He hugged his buddy, then placed him on his lap, and leaned on the tree and quickly fell asleep. Pikachu followed suit, yawing loudly, then curling back up and going to sleep.

May looked at Ash's face._ He looks so peaceful_, she thought, _I kinda like his hair._ She startled herself with that. She gently ran her fingers though his hair, messing it up further. She found herself liking the look of his hair. _It looks so wild_, she thought, _but the boy under it is nothing like that. He's kind, caring, and loyal to a fault, protective, brave, and wise._ "I love you, Ash Ketchum…" she heard herself whisper. She was worried that he had heard her, but this fear was destroyed when he began to snore. _Typical Ash_, she thought. She stretched her arms, and placed one along his chest. She placed her head along his shoulder and quickly fell asleep.

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**What do you think of the direction this is headed. I feel that this is the best chapter I've written so far. But that's just me tooting my own horn. I'd like to thank you, the reader, for reading this far. Seven chapters can seem like a lot. I would also like to thank my reviewers. You all are swell. I hope you continue to make yourself known with your Reviews/Questions/Blah. Until next chapter, See You Next Stage!**


	8. Campaign

**To be honest, I'm not really happy with the way this chapter came out. The characters took a scenario out of my hands and wrote the scene themselves. I guess it can't be all bad, can it? More of that fiendish villan, "The Plot", shows his ugly face this chapter. I guess I feel like I write better when I don't have to worry about getting from point A to point B.**

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"_Are you gonna be alright, May?" Ash asked her, loosely running his fingers through her brown hair._

"_Uh-huh," May snuggled her head against Ash's lap. She was content to lie there, having him stroke her._

"_You're gonna have to get up eventually," he reminded her._

"_I don't wanna," she said childishly._

"_All right," Ash gave in, "You don't have to."_

"_Thanks," she turned her head around to look up at him. Ash lowered his face to hers and puckered his lips. May closed her eyes, waiting for him._

May opened her eyes. It was midmorning. She sat up and tried to make sense of what was going on. She looked down and found that she was wearing Ash's shirt. The events of the previous night slowly crept back into her memory. As well as the events of the previous day. "Max," she whispered to herself. Her brother still didn't know where she was. She began to look around the camp site. The fire had long since gone out. It wasn't even smoldering anymore. Ash, his backpack and Pikachu had disappeared. Across from where the fire would have been, a large, reptilian Pokémon stared back at her. His yellow eyes closely watched her as he moved the twig about his mouth. Ash had left Sceptile to guard her while she slept. She was slightly intimidated by Ash's fully evolved Pokémon, but she was glad someone was watching her. _Ash must have gone in search of food or water of something_, May thought. She decided that this was as good a time as any to get dressed in her regular clothes. She ordered Sceptile to turn around as she got dressed, and the Forest Pokémon reluctantly agreed. She quickly dressed herself, but when it came time to put on her bandana, she remembered tearing it in half to bandage Ash's wounds. She sighed, but a something red caught her eye near the sleeping bag-turned-blanket. Ash had left his hat there. May figured that she had worn it last night, so she just placed it on her head. _I'll give it back when I find him_, she thought.

"You can turn around again," she told Sceptile. The Grass-Type turned back to face the campsite. "Do you know which way Ash went?" She asked him.

"Scep tile," he pointed in the direction behind her. The trees were dense, but the sunlight filtered through the branches.

But still, May didn't feel comfortable walking out that way on her own. "Hey, Sceptile, come with me and let's go find Ash," she ordered him.

"Tile!" The Pokémon refused. He was content to stay here.

"Are you saying that you'd let me wander into the forest and get hurt?" May asked him.

But Sceptile caught her bluff. "Scep tile, Sceptile tile sceptile."

May glowered at Sceptile _Thinks he's got it all together, does he?_ she thought at him. _Well, I guess I'm gonna have to test his reaction._ "Alright, I guess I'll go look for Ash on my own," she taunted Sceptile. "I'm sure Combusken can protect me…" She shouted back to him as she walked into the trees.

Sceptile knew he had no choice. He stood up and began to follow May. He caught up to her, and cursed her under his breath. May smiled devilishly, having played Sceptile like a well-tuned violin. They walked through the woods, not seeing very many wild Pokémon. May attributed that to the intimidating appearance of Sceptile. She began to hear a familiar voice up ahead. She heard laughing cheers, and the voice of Pikachu.

"Alright! Crabhammer the next one, Corphish!" Ash told his Water-Type. The crustacean Pokémon slammed his glowing claw into the next tree. A handful of large, round berries fell from the branches. Each of them had green and peach colored stripes. May looked to see Ash, with Pikachu on his head, looking very healthy. Ash had put on his hooded sweatshirt, but obviously wasn't wearing his hat. Pikachu scampered over to one of the berries and picked it up. Corphish, the small red Water-Type, having felt he had done enough, smashed one of the berries open and began to eat the sweet inner portion.

"Don't tell me you we're gonna eat without me?" May asked Ash. He turned his head to see the girl wearing his hat, but her clothes. Sceptile stepped out of the woods behind her.

"Hey, May!" Ash waved to her, "I see you've woken up." He turned to Sceptile. "Thanks for watchin' over her, Sceptile," He said, leaning down. He picked up one of the large berries and tossed it to Sceptile. The large Pokémon caught the berry and began to eat it.

"In think the rest of our Pokémon need to eat, too," May told Ash. The young trainer agreed, and they both reached at their belts and lobbed several Pokéballs into the air.

From Ash's Pokéballs came the small, purple Aipom, the nimble bird Pokémon Swellow, and a large, gray Pokémon. He had a set of tusks on each side of his mouth. His long black nose stretched down and he began to sniff around. Large ears sat atop his rather short body. The tire-like pattern on his nose continued along his back, ending on his rear. Bracer-like growths surround each of his short legs. This Pokémon runs passed Aipom and begins eating quickly.

"No, Donphan, wait for the others!" Ash scolded his Ground-Type Pokémon. Donphan stopped and sighed.

From May's Pokéballs came the chicken-like Combusken, the gluttonous Munchlax, and two more Pokémon. The first was a small turtle. He stood on his hind legs, balancing with his rounded tail. Other than his shell, which was brown on top and yellow on the bottom, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon was a light shade of blue. Next to him appeared a small, almost canine Pokémon. She was covered in brown fur, from the tips of her long ears to the bottoms of her small, feet. All except for a large, fluffy portion of fur around her neck. She had a fox-like tail that ended in the same pale white color that the fluff was. Her dark eyes lit up as the she and the turtle Pokémon ran towards some fruit. A nimble Munchlax, however had other plans and began scooping up the fruit in his arms. May quickly brandished her Pokéblock case and tossed a Pokéblock into Munchlax's gaping mouth. The Big Eater swallowed the block and became bloated very quickly, dropping the berries back onto the ground.

"Ewe!" the small canine Pokémon giggled as she took a bite out of the berry.

"Squirtle, Squir!" the small Water-Type agreed.

"Now, you two eat up, alright?" May had walked over to them and rubbed the back of her heads. Eevee smiled and cooed under her touch and Squirtle just laughed. May eyed the berry, and opened up her pack. Many of the items within were ruined. She pulled out a booklet, its cover claiming "Extensive Berry Encyclopedia." The pages were hard and had began to stick together, but nether the less she flipped to a page in the back of the book. She walked over to Ash and pointed at the picture in the book for him. "It says these are "Watmel Berries." They have a sweet taste to them."

Ash picked up one of the large berries and broke it open on his knee. He placed the opened rind near his mouth and took a bite. "Wow," he blinked, "that is pretty sweet." He handed the other half to May, who took it from his hand and took a bite.

"Yummy!" she exclaimed. She and Ash turned to the Pokémon. They had begun eating their fill of the Watmel berries, with the smaller Pokémon filling up before their larger counterparts. Ash walked over to ask Aipom if she was feeling better from the battle with Drew. Even though the Long Tail Pokémon bounced on her tail with a wide grin on her face, May felt a tang of guilt. May looked down at her shoes and rubbed them in the dirt.

Ash noticed and walked over to her. "Is something the matter, May?" he asked her, trying to look into her eyes.

"I still feel bad for having Aipom get hurt in that battle I got you and Drew to have," she admitted, not taking her gaze off her feet.

Ash patted her shoulder and said nothing. He turned back to the Pokémon and watched them eat. He took the half of the berry he had split earlier and continued to eat from it. May sat down and leaned her head against his leg, also eating from the split berry. "Ash…" May started, "I wanted to apologize…"

"For?" Ash asked as if he didn't know what she as going to say.

"For getting you and Drew to fight over me. It was wrong for me to play with your emotions like that," May admitted.

"I forgive you, May," Ash rubbed his hat over May's head. She looked up to see him smiling at her. She cracked a wry smile at him and smashed her half of the Watmel Berry into his face.

Ash wiped the pulp from his face and looked at May. "What was that for?" he asked her, his voice slightly irritated.

May had lept up and had taken some steps back. "Betcha can't get me!" She laughed at him. Ash wound up his throwing arm and tossed his half at May. She sidestepped the fruit, which fell harmlessly against the ground. She placed her hand on her mouth and looked at Ash. "Did the great Ash Ketchum miss? A girl?" she mocked him, trying to hide the laughter in her voice. Her mockery was cut off when Ash landed half of another berry into her chest. May clutched her chest and kneeled down, having a sensitive body part struck and wind knocked out of her.

Ash, shocked, ran over to her. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Ash Ketchum, this means war!" May shouted, taking the other half of the berry from Ash's hand and slamming it into his face.

The young trainers ran apart to find more berries. They each split them apart (May with more difficulty than Ash), and began to throw them at each other. When Ash had leaned over, May took the opportunity to hit him square in the end. The boy jumped, and turned to the laughing May. He tossed one at her leg, and caused her to fall. May threw another at Ash, only to have Ash's next assault catch it in the air, splating against each other. Ash followed it up with another half. May ducked, having it take Ash's hat off her head. They both picked up one last piece, and ran toward each other, holding it out in front of them, as if it were some kind of fruit joust. Ash's longer arms won out, and the fruit crashed into May's face. May's splatted on Ash's chest. Ash pulled his hand and the emptied rind away from May's face, only to have May tackle him to the ground. Ash managed to force them into a roll, with May now having her back on the ground. May, however, was able to use the momentum made by Ash to continue rolling, placing them back with May on top. May placed her hand on Ash's forearms, pinning him to the ground, preventing any further escape attempts. The boy was at her mercy. Her legs straddled his stomach, and a fearful look overcame Ash's eyes. A smirk appeared across May's face. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Both of them were sticky from the berry juice. Dirt had stuck to both of their faces. May felt her heartbeat quicken. She flipped herself off of Ash and laid on the ground next to him instead.

"So who won?" Ash asked her after a moment.

"I think it was a draw," May answered.

Using Squritle's Water Gun as a make-shift fountain, Ash and May washed their faces, arms and legs. May collected some of the Watmel berries and placed them in Ash's pack; her own could only hold one. After their Pokémon ate their fill of the berries, Ash and May sent them back into their Pokéballs (except Pikachu, of course), and walked through the woods back to the campsite. The only things remaining to be collected where the clothesline, Ash's sleeping bag, and the shirt May wore yesterday. Having forgotten about them, May realized that they wouldn't fit with the Watmel berries they had collected, but by taking the largest out of Ash's pack, they managed to barely fit it all in.

"I guess we can snack on it while we walk…" Ash mentioned to her, handing it to the girl while he put his pack back on.

"No!" May's arms cradled the berry protectively. She had actually had a chance to read her Berry Encyclopedia. "Watmel Berries are really rare! It's a miracle we found an entire grove of them! These can be used to make some very good Pokéblock!"

"Fine," Ash resigned, "but you're carrying it."

"Fine," May flatly stated.

"Pika…" the Pokémon sighed.

They walked down the road, neither of them saying anything to each other. _Who does she think she is?_ Ash pondered to himself. Pikachu had taken residence on May's head, because she still wore Ash's hat. He found the hat more comfortable than Ash's hair, and napped on May as they traveled in the forest. Ash returned to his inner monologue. _Does she think because I like her, that she can walk all over me like that?_ he fumed silently to himself. _I mean, I was glad to help her yesterday, but does she think that she can just say 'Jump' and I'll go 'How high?'_ He looked over at May's content face, seeing her smile at the berry in her arms. His anger quickly dissolved, the happiness on May's face filling him with a gladness. _She doesn't think like that_, he told himself, _She was just keeping it like she originally planned._ Ash's thoughts wandered to the food-fight earlier that morning. He had seen something in May that he hadn't noticed before. Inside the seemingly innocent young woman, a wild girl came to the surface. She smiled slyly and had a fight with him. She took it into her own hands and wrestled him to the ground. She pinned him there, under her body. The look of the wild girl was what he saw on her face. The look of a girl who knew what she wanted and knew what she had to do to get it. As quickly as she came, the wild girl was gone, and the sweet, kind, innocent May whom had captured Ash's heart in the first place returned. He had never seen May act like that before. He wondered briefly what could have been the trigger for May to act like that. _But when Misty and I traveled together, I remember her going from sweetly hanging around to being sour and hitting me_, he sighed, _I guess I'll never understand girls_.

They came to the edge of the woods. They stepped out and a dusty road stretched to the left and right of them. To the right was a tall mountain, but to the left was a small, old signboard. He walked up to it and began to laugh in amusement. When May asked him what was up, he replied, "I know where we are, now!" May turned to the sign and read it.

EAST: CERULEAN CITY

WEST: MT. MOON

Upon closer inspection, in the lower right corner of the sign, there was a worn, almost indecipherable phrase written. She drew her face closer and was able to read it.

GARY WAS HERE! ASH IS A LOSER!

She gasped at what she read. Ash saw her reaction. "That is actually quite a few years old," he remarked.

"Gary really did antagonize you, didn't he?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I was reminded of him by the way Drew treated you the first time."

May looked at the sign again and came to a realization. _If I were a boy, would my rivalry with Drew be the same as Ash's was with Gary? Does he only treat me nicely because I'm a girl?_ She felt herself become disgusted with Drew for a moment. She reached into her pack and pulled out a marker. She scribbled over Gary and Ash's names, and then rebolded the rest of the words in the original sentence. The reformatted phrase stated:

**MAY WAS HERE! DREW IS A LOSER!**

"What was that for?" Ash asked her as they walked toward Cerulean City.

"People like him have it coming," she replied, still sour over what she thought of Drew.

Ash sighed as they stepped into town and he guided them through it to the Pokémon Center.

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**This chapter is shorter than the previous** **two, but it leads us to the next part of the story. And for what it's worth, I believe I did better than I thought I did when I wrote the note at the beginning of the chapter. Let's see what fun I can rustle up in Cerulean City. The thoughts are already pouring into my head. Pokéshippers, beware! You may not like how I convey Misty's relationship to Ash.**

**Anydangway, please review/question/whateverthatthirdthingIkeepaskingyoualltodo!**


	9. Center

**No Misty, yet. Don't expect her until chapter 11. Just like chapters 6 and 7 before them, this chapter quickly grew out of control, forcing me to break this hypothetical chapter 9 into both chapters 9 and 10. We hear from Max and Brock in this chapter, showing that I haven't completely forgotten them. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let's get this train wreak a-rollin'!**

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**"This is Cerulean City, right?" May asked Ash as they arrived in the Pokémon Center. 

"Yeah, what about it?" Ash answered her, not knowing where she was going with it.

"Isn't this where your friend Misty lives?" May asked him.

"Yeah, and what about that?" Ash replied as they walked to the counter. "Hey, Nurse Joy!" Ash said as he rung the bell on the desk.

"Hello, and welcome to our Pokémon Center," the ever familiar Pokémon Nurse stepped out and introduced herself. A large, pink round Pokémon stepped out behind Joy. She had a plain looking smile on her face. On top of her round, egg shaped body was a small nurse. She also wore a small apron,

"Chansey!" the Pokémon greeted the visiting trainers.

"Joy, do you have any male relatives that run a Pokémon Center in the wilderness?" Ash asked her.

"Did you run into Joseph?" Joy got an annoyed look across her normally calm face.

"Uh, yeah," May interrupted, "Why is that?"

Joy sighed, "He's one of the very few boys born to our family this generation. He's a good doctor for the Pokémon, but he keeps that Skarmory around."

"That did seem a little off…" May mentioned.

"That Skarmory was his first Pokémon, and together they promised that they would be the greatest Pokémon Center running team in the world," Joy told them the short story. "The problem is that Skarmory isn't the gentlest of Pokémon, even though she means well."

Ash wanted to get to the chase. "Well, we have some friends there, and we'd like to have the number for that center so we can call them."

"Oh," spat Joy, miffed that the people who she was talking to seemed to want to move on and leave her alone to be lonely again, "here's the number." She handed Ash a piece of paper with the phone number hastily scribbled on it. Ash and May left their Pokémon with the nurse (including Pikachu this time), and went to call their friends.

"Ash! May! You're both okay!" were the first words out of Brock's mouth, having answered the phone. Hearing the shout, Max, Drew, and Doctor Joseph ran over to the monitor to see if he was telling the truth.

"May!" Max leapt in Brock's face to see his sister. She smiled back at him and nodded through the monitor.

"Maybe we should all use different phones?" Brock suggested, moving Max back into the background.

May and Max went to separate phones on their respective sides of the phone and called each other. Brock and Ash continued their conversation uninhibited. Ash told Brock that they had fallen into the lake, but he had saved himself and May. He also noted May's quick response to his wounds for saving his life.

"That sounds bad, Ash," Brock commented this far into the story, "Are you and Swellow alright?"

"Yeah," Ash smiled to his friend, "like I told you, May ripped her bandana off and used it to bind my wounds. I calmed Swellow down, he's alright." Ash continued his story, talking about how May and himself camped out, found food the next morning, and found the trail to Cerulean City. He, of course, left out details like May borrowing his shirt and the food-fight they had. He did mention the Watmel berries and the story of the sign.

"I remember that sign," Brock laughed, "That was a long time ago. I'm surprised it didn't get replaced before now."

"I'm kinda glad it wasn't," said Ash, "it's kinda like an artifact from my early days. I still thought it was pretty funny when May wrote over it, though."

"Yeah," Brock agreed, "And see if you can't get May to spare some of those Watmel berries. I think I can make a great batch of Pokémon food with at least one of those."

"Alright, I will," Ash agreed.

"Oh, did you have any plans of seeing Misty while you were in town?" Brock asked him.

"I did. I have some stuff I gotta talk to her about," he told Brock. The former Gym Leader nodded, wished Ash good luck, and told him that he, Max, and possibly Drew would be rejoining them soon. Ash nodded, thanked his friend, and hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, May and Max held their conversation. May told her brother about the night they first arrived at Dr. Joseph's Center. She mentioned Pikachu, Drew (who was standing in the background behind Max, but well within earshot), and Ash. She told him about her talk with Brock, and the subsequent failed plan they had developed.

"Man, I can't believe Ash would ever say something like that to a girl!" Max was blown away. "I mean, Ash is really cool and tough! He's like my second hero! And he says he likes you! And you're just my dumb ol' girly sister." May got an annoyed look on her face and continued to tell the story. Like Ash, she left out the part about Ash's shirt, but she mentioned the food fight, although not in much detail. The thought of Ash and his sister throwing things at each other brought a smile to Max's face, like May thought it would. He asked her if she saw any Pokémon in the forest, to which May replied no, but she didn't find that out of the ordinary. She continued the story, skipping over the part about the sign, fearing Drew's reaction to hearing what she had done.

She finished telling her story, and Max began to explain what had been going on at the center. Brock was worried about them, but he didn't phone their dad or Ash's mom, feeling himself responsible. Drew was out almost constantly riding on Flygon, trying to see if he could find them. He couldn't find any trace of them from the lakeshore, so he continued to fly, but the thick trees prevented him from seeing anyone. "He was out for like eight hours at a time looking for you guys!" Max exclaimed, seemingly having gained a good deal of respect for Drew over to course of the two days without his sister. Having heard that remark in his favor, Drew drifted out of the background. Max continued telling the story. Dr. Joseph continued running the center as if nothing was wrong, occupied in his belief that his was the greatest Pokémon Center in the world. He was concerned, however, as Max noted seeing Skarmory following Drew.

"But May, have you picked one yet?" Max asked out of the blue.

"What?" May was shocked, "What do you mean?"

Max took a quick look around on his end to make sure no one was listening in. "I mean have you picked Ash or Drew yet?"

"What's it matter to you?" May asked her kid brother.

"Well, part of me is thinking how cool it would be to hang out with just Ash and Brock without having you around. You know, just the guys?" Max explained. May nodded, indicating for him to continue. "But another part of me is really gonna miss you if you leave, even if that means you making kissey faces at Ash."

May knew that Max was going to be a large factor in her decision. Even when she fought with her brother, she really cared about him. "Well, to be honest," she told her sibling, "I haven't really decided yet. I'll come up with some kind of choice by the time you guys get here, alright?" She was hoping this answer would satisfy him without forcing her to choose.

He nodded and flipped out the PokéNav, indicating that Cerulean was three days travel from their current location, giving May three days to choose one of them. "We'll be leaving for Cerulean in the morning, so you can relax, tonight, alright sis?" Max informed his sister. She nodded to the information. Max began saying his goodbyes when May interrupted him.

"Hey Max, wait!" she began, "I wanted to talk to you for a little bit longer."

"About what?" Max asked his sister.

"Well, I feel like I haven't done a good job being an older sister these past two days," she told him with sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you behind. I was worried about you, Max."

"I was worried about you, too, sis," Max responded, "but don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't know what could have happened with Team Rocket. Although I would have liked to be in on your plan."

"Sorry about that, too." May smiled at him.

"Is that all?" Max questioned her.

"No, there's one more thing. Regardless of whom I choose, I want you to know that you'll always be my little brother, and I'll always love you." May told him.

"Thanks, May," Max smiled, "I love you, too. See you in three days!" They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Ash and May collected their recovered Pokémon from Joy, but before the nurse could ensnare them in another conversation, they quickly asked for their room. They mentioned that they would need the standard double bunk bed room, because they had two friends coming in a few days. While in their room, Ash set down his backpack full of the Watmel berries they had collected. May left both of hers in the room, and after May took a moment to adjust the hat she was wearing in the mirror, she and Ash wandered to the cafeteria. They ordered their food and sat down in one of the booths.

"So, what did you talk with Brock about?" May asked him, before taking some of her ramen in her chopsticks.

"I talked to him about what happened to us," Ash stated. "He and Max were worried about us." He took a bite from his hamburger. He looked at it for a moment, and then began to wrestle the ketchup bottle out of Pikachu's hands.

"So was Drew, apparently," May hinted before slurping down more of her ramen. Ash raised an eyebrow while he squirted some ketchup on his burger before handing the bottle back to an annoyed Pikachu. May explained what Max had explained to her.

"Anyway," Ash continued, "I told him about what happened yesterday and today. I feel kinda bad because I didn't tell him the whole story."

"You left out the shirt thing, didn't you?" May smiled at him from across the table.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ash looked at her inquisitively.

"I didn't tell Max that either," she giggled.

"Great minds think alike, I guess," he chuckled as well. "I guess you didn't mention the food fight either, huh?"

"Actually, I did, but I left out the wrestling part," May smirked, "I don't think Max would be very happy if he knew I brought you to the ground." Her eyes looked deep into Ash's. It was that look he remembered from earlier that day.

Ash audibly gulped. "T-then," he continued, "He wanted me to ask you if you would save him some of the Watmel berries we collected. Said he wanted to make some new Pokémon food with it."

May's eyes returned to normal. "I don't see anything wrong with it." She slurped down more of her ramen.

"Oh, he also asked me if I was gonna visit Misty," Ash recalled, "so I planned on going over to the Gym tomorrow. Would you like to come?"

"Sure," May said enthusiastically, "I'd love to see Misty again!"

"So what did you talk to Max about?" Ash asked his companion.

"After telling me how worried everyone was, he asked me if I had made up my mind yet," She said, blushing.

"About what?" Ash asked, clueless about what Max could have asked about.

"If I had chosen between the two of you yet…" May trailed of, looking into the bowl of ramen. There were only a few noodles left.

"Two of… you mean Drew and me, right?" Ash asked her. She nodded. "What did you tell him?" Ash asked, also wanting to hear her answer.

"I told him I hadn't decided yet. I also said that I'd have the answer by the time they arrive, three days from now." May explained to Ash. "So I'm gonna have to think about it during that time."

Ash nodded, finishing his burger. "Well, I've been thinking, too," he said. He looked her in the eyes and said, "I want you to be happy, May. I want you to do what you want. If you want to go with Drew, then I don't want you to have any regrets. If you leave, I promise I'll take care of Max for you."

"Ash…" she whispered, "why would you do that?"

"Because I want to do what is for the best," Ash told her, "Not just for you, but for everybody. Max'll miss his big sister, so I can act as his big brother for him if I need to."

"Ash," her eyes teared up, "you're already a big brother to Max. He feels comfortable around you, and sometimes I feel like Max can relate to you better because you're a boy."

"But-" Ash started.

"No, Ash," she reached across the table and took him by the hand, "Don't talk like you're going to give up. That's not the Ash I know. That's not the Ash… that's my friend." She looked up at him, tears slowly sliding down her face. "Like I said, it's my decision. I'll take try to take everything I can into account." The tears came down in a steady flow now. "Don't say things to try to get me to go with Drew." She stood up, crying and shouted at Ash's face. "I'll be the one to choose! You can't force me one way or the other!" She ran out of cafeteria, tears running down her face.

Everyone else who was eating at that time has turned to look at Ash. He turned deep red. A group of girls came over to Ash and asked what he did to 'his girlfriend.' They had a few other choice words for him, as well, calling him a womanizing pig and a sexist punk. They poured their soft drinks on him and stormed out. Ash quickly grabbed Pikachu and ran out of the room, hoping to avoid any further luck.

One person didn't pay attention to Ash's spectacle. His purple eyes were squarely focused on the door May left through. He gripped his chopsticks and broke them, dropping an octopus dumpling back onto his plate.

"May…" he grumbled, "I'll get my revenge…"

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**May got upset in this chapter. Why she did may be unclear, but that's part of the next chapter. I hope that I'm telling this well enough for you all to understand what made May upset, but I try to explore it more in the next part.**

**Do that Review/Comment/Question thing you guys do oh-so very well! And then maybe click over to the next chapter!**


	10. Clothes

**I can't think of a good way to open this chapter. Misty doesn't appear. Humerous scenes. Enjoy.**

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**By the time Ash had returned to his room, May had begun taking a shower. Ash decided not to press any issue, so he gathered a towel, a clean set of clothes, some soap and Pikachu, and they went to the communal bath in the center. He undressed and placed his clothes in one of the tiny lockers in the room. He and Pikachu went into the bath. He lowered himself into the warm water and sighed. Pikachu followed suit. 

"Hey, Pikachu, what do you think was up with May?" he opened the conversation with his partner.

"Pika pika…" the Pokémon wondered.

"What do you think she meant by, 'don't say things to get me to go with Drew'?" He asked Pikachu.

The mouse Pokémon blew some bubbles in the water. "Pika, pi pikachu pikapika pika pi chuu kachu, Pikapi."

"You really think that?" Ash asked him. Pikachu shrugged. "Well, it's something to think about."

Back in the room, May was crouched in the shower, crying. The water ran over her face and mixed with the tears. _It's like he wants me to go with Drew… I thought he said he loved me!_ Many thoughts ran through her head at the same time. It felt as though a large part of her conscious yelled to her, _Drew would never try to get rid of me like that!_ Another part chimed in, _Ash is an idiot! He doesn't understand love!_ But from a small place, way in the back of her mind, a voice shot up. _Ash showed me so much compassion over the last two days. He worried about me catching cold. He didn't complain when I slept with him last night. He didn't get offended when we wrestled in the Watmel berry grove._ She listened to this upstart voice. She nodded in agreement with it. The food fight in the grove came to her mind again. She knew that she shouldn't have straddled him like she did, but at the same time, she wanted to do it, and on impulse, did what she wanted to do. She stopped crying and sat up. She thought about Ash. She wondered why he had given her the go ahead to pursue Drew if he loved her. And she remembered making the scene in the cafeteria. She felt bad about how she had acted. _I've gotta tell him 'I'm sorry' and then I can ask him what he meant, _she thought to herself while getting out of the shower. She put on the clothes she had been wearing, not having a set of clothes that didn't smell like pond water. The only exception was her hat. _Ash's hat_, she corrected herself; she left it outside, having tossed the symbol of the boy across the room in frustration. She went out of the bathroom and picked up the hat. She hugged it for a moment, and placed it on Ash's pack in the room. May turned back to one of the beds and sat on the bottom bunk, and waited for him to return.

Ash had finished bathing a while ago. _Why did that guy look familiar?_ he kept thinking to himself. When he was getting out of the bath, he saw a man with long, purple hair getting in. Ash felt that he should have recognized him. _I hope he didn't hear any of my conversation with Pikachu_, he worried. He dismissed it seconds later_. If I didn't recognize him, then he probably didn't recognise me. He probablyjust thought I was a weirdo hanging out with a Pokémon in the bath._ His train of thought was interrupted by the DING of the dryer that Pikachu was leaning on, trying to derive some heat from it. He took one of the laundry baskets available, and tossed all of the clothes in the basket. He peered inside the dryer to make sure he had gotten all of the clothes. Staring back at him, defying his authority, was a pair of May's panties, sitting in the back of the drying chamber. _I am not touching May's panties,_ he thought to himself. He turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, get in there and pick…those up," he told his companion. The Pokémon nodded and began to climb in the dryer. He touched his hand to the hot metal, cried out, and leapt back. When Ash tried to tell him to try again, Pikachu shook his head no, showing him his hand. He wasn't wounded, but it was hot, as Ash felt when he put his head back inside the dryer. He slowly reached out and touched May's undergarment in his hand. They felt cottony and smooth. He grabbed them, pulled them out, and closed the dryer. But he felt himself unable to put them down. He had never held a pair of women's underwear before. They felt odd in his hands. They were stretchy and soft. _I wonder what they smell like_, he thought. He slowly brought them to his nose and took a quick sniff, tossing them into the laundry basket afterwards. Unsurprisingly, they smelt like the laundry detergent he used on all of the clothes. He blushed with embarrassment, hoping no one had seen him do something so weird. Pikachu leapt on to Ash's shoulder and felt his forehead. "I'm fine, Pikachu," Ash laughed it off, "It was a weird thought that went through my head, and I decided to see what they smelt like. They smelt like the detergent, anyway." Pikachu shrugged, and Ash picked up the clothes basket and carried it back to the room.

When he had entered, he saw May sitting on the bottom bunk of one of the beds. He placed the basket in front of her.

"You aren't serious, are you?" she looked at him, wondering where he got the audacity to make her fold both of their clothes by himself.

"I'll help you, don't worry," he smiled. He sat on the bed next to the basket, and began to take out his clothes and fold them, while May took out hers and did likewise. Pikachu sat on the top bunk of the opposite bed and curled up.

Continuing to fold clothes, May turned to Ash. "I want to apologize for something again…" she said.

"The blow up in the cafeteria?" he asked.

"Yeah," she meekly responded.

"What was that about?" he asked her, placing one of his shirts on the bed to start a stack. "I said something and you got all upset. I didn't know what I did wrong."

"I over-reacted, and I didn't mean to cause such a big scene." she admitted. "I'm sorry. But, why did you tell me that?"

"Tell you what?" Ash asked her. He had stopped folding clothes for a moment.

"You told me that you'd take care of Max if I choose Drew." She looked up at Ash. His face was filled with concern with a dash of confusion. "I felt like, by you saying that, that you wanted me to go with Drew," May said as she looked down t the pair of shorts in her hands.

Ash reached his hand over the basket and held hers. "I didn't mean it like that," he calmly told her, "what I meant…" he took a moment to gather his thoughts, his hand still holding May's. "What I meant to say was that I wanted to watch out for you. You love Max probably more than you like either me or Drew, and I know his happiness was something you cared about." He knew he wasn't doing a very good job at trying to make her feel better, but he had to try anyway. "I want to protect you, and things that are important to you." He told her. "And I know that Max is really important to you. I'm just not good at expressing my thoughts to other people, I guess." He smiled and looked at her eyes. He saw tears in them, and his heart sank. "I guess I'm not as good at cheering people up as I thought," he sighed, releasing her hand.

May broke down into tears, and leapt into Ash's arms, spilling the clothes basket on the ground and crying fitfully. She wrapped her arms around his body and held him tightly. Ash, trying to understand what was going on, wrapped his arms around May, holding her tightly. He felt a hidden strength in himself. He laid his face down into her hair, smelling the shampoo she had used recently.

May cried fitfully in Ash's chest. She felt safe with him holding her. Her crying began to slow down, but his strong arms remained there, tightly holding her, supporting her. She felt that she had no need to cry anymore. She calmed down and her breathing began to slow. She felt Ash run his fingers through her hair. She smiled into his chest where he couldn't see. She wiped her tears on his sweatshirt and looked up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying she had done this evening.

"May," Ash whispered to her, "why were you crying?"

"I don't know, Ash," she smiled at him, "I miss Max, you got hurt recently, we've been fighting today, over that stupid berry, and ...and… and I guess all the stress caught up with me. I just needed a place to cry." She nuzzled her head against Ash's chest. "Thanks for being that place."

"Anytime, May," he responded, running his fingers through her hair again, "anytime."

May sat up from him and laughed, "I guess we need to pick up all of those clothes and fold 'em, huh?" They both looked over to see Pikachu folding May's last blouse. He quietly turned and sat it in the stack the rest of her clothes were in. Ash's stack sat next to hers.

"Pikachu!" May was startled. "Did you fold all of those?"

"Pika." He nodded.

"Did you see what just happened up here?" Ash asked.

"Pika." He nodded again.

Ash smiled. "C'mon, buddy." Pikachu enthusiastically leaped at Ash and placed himself between Ash and May, not forcing them apart, but becoming a part of their embrace. Ash broke it off and headed for the door. When May asked him where he was going, he turned to her and smiled, saying "I'm just hitting the light." He flicked off the switch, the moon now the only light source in the room. He walked back over to May and Pikachu and took them both into his arms. "I guess we can all sleep together again, tonight," he whispered to them. May wrapped her arms around the boy and his Pokémon. And in that embrace, the three of them – Ash, May and Pikachu – drifted off to sleep.

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**Pikachu for the win, please. In recent chapters, I often found myself wondering, "Okay, now where is Pikachu in this scene?" So I'm, glad he got to play a bigger role in this chapter he has in previous. I mean, Pikachu is basically the 5th human in the group. A small, yellow human, but human none the less. And the extra shippyness is nice, I think.**

**What did you all think? Wanna review? Go ahead! Got a question? Either PM me, E-Mail me, or put it as a** **review. Just a vague comment? Type it up as a review, I guess. Wanna bash Advanceshipping or Pokémon in general? _GO THE CRAP AWAY!_ Everyone else, I hope you enjoyed this segment!Misty's first appearance should occur in the chapter 11, fans, so wait for the next instalment!**


	11. Cerulean

**Hello. It's another one of those double update dealies. I don't really like these kind of updates. Misty is introduced in this chapter. And so is another character. I've been paying attention to what you all have been saying. There are some more twists in store.**

**And for the record, irritable Joy was supposed to be irritable.**

**EDIT: August 7, 2006: This chapter got reuploaded with some fixes to words. I seemed to forget some small words here and there.**

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May opened her eyes to see Ash and Pikachu still sleeping. The sunlight dimly lit the room. She sat up on the covers, something none of them got under. She looked down at the neatly folded stack of her clothes. She slowly crawled off the bed and collected a full change of clothes. May tip-toed into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. 

"_Ash," May called to him. Ash turned to see her dressed fully in his clothes. The baggy sweatshirt hid her figure well, and the pants were much too baggy for her to be walking in._

"_May, why are you wearing my clothes?"_ _he asked her. _

_She turned his hat around her head. She began to walk towards him, stepping out of his pants. She was wearing the pair of cotton panties that Ash had to fish out of the dryer the night before. As she walked, she swayed her hips seductively. "So Ash," she asked him, honey in her voice, "you wanna see what they feel like?"_

Ash bolted awake, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. His motion launched Pikachu off the bed onto the ground. The mouse Pokémon rolled across the ground. Pikachu was confused, being tossed across the room while enjoying his slumber. Ash looked around. The light in the bathroom was on and glowing from under the door. Ash slid off the bed and walked cautiously toward it. He timidly knocked on the door. "May?" he called to the other side. He heard the sound of the shower through the door.

"What is it, Ash?" a cheery voice came from behind the door.

"Nothing," Ash let out a sigh of relief. "I was just wondering where you were."

"Did you miss me already?" May laughed from the shower.

"Of course!" Ash talked as loudly and sarcastically as he could. "My life **revolves**," he continued to lay it on, accenting 'revolves', "around you, Pokémon Battles, and Pikachu!" The both had a good laugh about that. By this time, Pikachu had come to his senses, and was angry with Ash launching him. He stepped from around the bed and glowered at Ash. "Hey Pikachu, good morning," Ash greeted his Pokémon.

Sparks showered from his cheeks. "Pika pikapika, pika!" Pikachu shouted as he launched a Thundershock at Ash. The trainer screamed as the shock coursed his body. The shock lasted only briefly, but it scorched the clothes he was wearing.

"Ash!" May shouted from the bathroom. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he coughed, "But I'm gonna need the shower after you're done."

May opened the door and let Ash in. He carried a change of clothes in. May noticed how he smelt like someone had burned him. She knew who had burned him. She walked out into the room and sat in front of a mirror. May turned to Pikachu asked him why he had attacked his friend. The Electric-Type mimed the scene were Ash awoke, complete with the jerking motion he made when he awoke. He pointed to where he had landed on the hard ground. She stroked his fur for a moment, and then set him down. She told Pikachu he should apologize, and the Pokémon went and waited for Ash to be done showering. May turned her attention back to the mirror. She took a hair brush out of her pack and began to brush the tangles out of her hair. She smiled at the good-spirited girl smiling back at her from the mirror. After she got her hair just perfect, she reached to Ash's nearby pack and carefully placed his hat on her head. She winked at the mirror. _I can't believe how cute I am! _she giggled to herself. For some reason, today felt like it was going to be a good day. She couldn't quite put her finger on what made her feel so giddy. May didn't care what the reason was. She was determined to have a good day with Ash today. As she made another cute pose in the mirror, Ash walked in from the bathroom. "Hey, Ash!" she grinned. "Are you feeling better?"

Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder and stepped around to face Ash, "Pi pika, Pikapi."

"It's alright, Pikachu," Ash smiled at him, "I'd be grouchy if I was woke up like that, too." He turned to May. "Yeah, I'm alright," he told her.

"I don't know what it is, but today just seems like my day!" May smiled. She stood up and held the tip of Ash's hat. "C'mon, Pikachu!" May tried her best to imitate Ash's voice. "Let's go to the Cerulean Gym and win a Gym Badge!"

"Pika!" The Pokémon cheered and leapt from Ash to May's shoulder.

"Alright, let's visit Misty," Ash agreed. They took their packs with them and walked quietly out of the center. Luckily for them, Joy was passed out in front her computer, and Chansey waved them goodbye quietly. They smiled back at the Normal-Type and left the center.

On their way, Ash and May passed a strip. May saw the ice cream parlor and licked her lips. "C'mon, Ash, let's get some ice cream!" she tugged on Ash's arm.

"Not right now," Ash pulled away, "we're going to the Gym. Besides, we haven't had breakfast yet!"

"Fine…" May almost let it drop, "but promise that we'll go get ice cream later!"

"Alright, we'll go get ice cream later," he promised. He looked over behind May, trying to see something.

"What's up, Ash?" she asked him. She turned and looked at a small park in the middle of the city. A group of trees separated them from the inner field. She didn't see anything in the trees.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw something," he said, blinking. "C'mon, let's go," he told her, turning from the trees. As they walked on, a man with long purple hair in a green outfit resembling a Pokémon sighed. His sharp purple eyes glanced over to make sure that the couple had continued walking before he followed them further.

They arrived at a building that, to May, resembled a circus tent. There was a sign on the top of the building, featuring Dewgong with the words 'CERULEAN GYM' scrawled across it's underside. Ash and May walked up to the door, which opened automatically. A pretty young girl in a tank top and short shorts sat at the reception desk, strumming it with her fingers. Her other hand was absent-mindedly curling her long, blonde hair. Her eyes shot up and her expression lit up upon eying Ash. "Hey, Ash," she said with the voice suiting a valley girl, "welcome to the Gym!" She glanced over to May, "And who's your pretty little friend?"

"I'm May. I'm from Petalburg City," she introduced herself.

"Like, my name's Daisy, and I'm Misty's oldest older sister." She put a bright smile on her face and pointed to herself. "I'm still super-cute, though, aren't I?"

"Y-yeah…" May managed to get out, Daisy's friendliness making her feel uncomfortable.

"You all came to see, like, Misty, didn't you?" she asked them, her smile never leaving her face.

"That's right. Is she here?" Ash asked her.

"She's at the pool. C'mon, I'll take you both to her," Daisy led the way. It wasn't a long walk, seeing as to how they went through one doorway before they were at the pool. Lots of Water-type Pokémon swam around the pool. Some star-shaped Pokémon, with their glowing cores, floated lazily in the pool, while others, such as the frog and the coral Pokémon held a swimming race to see which was the fastest. On the side of the pool crouched a girl, watching as a yellow duck Pokémon gratefully ate from his food bowl. She wore a yellow top with matching yellow shorts. She had her orange hair in a pony tail to the side of her head.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu exclaimed, leaping from May and running to the girl. Her cerulean blue eyes looked in surprise as she turned to see Pikachu leap into her arms.

"Pikachu?" she laughed. "What are you doing here?" The calm Gym Leader looked up to see Ash, May and Daisy walking over to her. "Oh, hello Ash! Hi, May!" she smiled, running to them with Pikachu in her arms. "It's been a long time! How have you guys been?"

"We're great, Misty," Ash told her.

Misty nodded and looked around. "You two are still traveling around with Brock and Max, right?" she shot a concerned look at Ash. "Are they okay?"

"It's a long story," Ash began. He was interrupted by his stomach growling. He put his hand behind his head in an embarrassed sort of way. "Maybe we could talk about it over breakfast?" he asked.

May and Misty smiled at the same time and both said, "Same, old typical Ash." When they realized this they both giggled.

"Well, I just got done feeding everyone here, so let's go get something to eat!" Misty smiled at Ash and May. She guided them to the back where a living area was. Daisy fixed some food for Ash, Misty, and May while the two traveling trainers told their story. They told Misty about how Team Rocket kidnapped May and he and May's rival, Drew, had to rescue her. May found herself being interrupted by Ash often, with him trying to move the story along and skipping any parts dealing with himself and May being close. About the events in the Pokémon Center the night before, Ash only mentioned that they called their friends to let them know they we're all right. May getting upset, crying, being reassured by Ash: all of it didn't even get a mention. By the time Ash had said that they we're expecting their friends in three days, May had gotten slightly annoyed. She made a mental note to bring it up with Ash later. Possibly over ice cream.

"Hey, May," Ash said to her after he had finished the meal Daisy provided for him, "I need to talk to Misty in private. Could you go find something for you to do in the Gym while I talk to her?"

May swallowed her last bite of food and looked at him, slightly confused. "I uh, guess so. Why all the secrecy?"

"I just wanted to catch up on what she's been up to," he told her.

May wasn't falling for it, but before she could voice her concerns again, Daisy spoke up. "Oh, I just so remembered!" she squealed. "May, we just got some new berry blenders installed. Would you like to make some Pokéblock?"

May smiled, thinking about the berries that she and Ash had collected. _They won't stay fresh forever_, a voice nagged her. She agreed with the voice. "I guess you two can have your private conversation. I'm gonna blend some berries!" Ash handed her the berries as she stood. She carefully cradled them in her arms and followed Daisy down the hall.

May was led down the hall, and down a flight of stairs. She saw many Water Pokémon sleeping at the bottom of the pool, which could be seen from the basement. "Are all of those Pokémon Misty's?" she asked Daisy as she led her.

"Mostly, but a few belong to me, and our Dewgong belongs to the Gym as a whole," she explained, pointed out the sleeping Water-and-Ice type among the Goldeen and Seaking. A large blue serpent came up to the glass and growled at May. The young trainer was scared and dropped the berries on the ground. "That's Misty's Gyarados, her strongest Pokémon." She said matter-of-factly. May gulped, hoping she would never have to fight such a terrifying Pokémon as she gathered the berries back up.

Daisy led her to the end of the hall, and a room that contained several berry blenders. A few boxes of berries also sat in the room. Daisy told her that she could help herself to any berries she thought she needed. May opened her Berry encyclopedia. She flipped through it, and then looked into the boxes to see which berries they had lying around. Knowing that the sweetness of the Watmel berries would be best accented with some bitterness and a bit of dryness, she picked out some Magost berries and Cornn berries. She also added one Watmel berry and turned the machine on. The machine began to purr quietly, and after a few moments, some small, pink Pokéblock fell out.

"Now, who to test it on…" May though out loud. Munchlax would eat anything that was in front of it, so he was out. May decided that she would test them on Eevee, reaching for the Normal-type's Pokéball and releasing it. The canine Pokémon looked at her mistress expectantly, and May dropped one of the Watmel Pokéblocks into her Pokémon's mouth. Eevee chewed the candy with little difficulty, and she seemed to enjoy it. Proud that she had come up with a satisfactory product, she began to make more of these Pokéblocks. Each time the machine began to purr, she could only think of what Ash and Misty could possibly be talking about. He had asked her explicitly to leave them, and he wouldn't give her an answer as to why. _Is Ash still interested in Misty?_ she thought. It was more things to bring up with him over the promised ice cream. She licked her lips at the thought of it. She was planning on getting a brownie sundae. She had always liked the chocolate brownies her mom baked for her, and she also loved ice cream and hot fudge. Before she could further fanaticize about ice cream, she realized that she had blended all of her Watmel berries. She sighed, and placed the new blocks in her Pokéblock case and began to head out the door. She bumped into someone entering, falling on her end. She looked up to see a man glowering down at her. His long purple hair flowed out from under his green hat. His sharp purple eyes glared at her from above his nose, his face in a frown. He wore a purple shirt with his belly button exposed. His green jacket and pants resembled Cacturne, his favorite Pokémon.

"So, I see you're done in here," he laughed.

"Harley!" May shouted, coming to her feet. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I've just come to use the new berry blenders, since I'm in town," he explained. "Did you just get done blending berries?" he asked.

"Yup!" she stood proudly. "And my Pokémon like their taste!"

"That's not surprising," Harley placed his index finger to his chin. He extended it, pointing sharply at May, saying, "because your Pokémon are used to eating bland, tasteless Pokéblock!" He began to laugh at her, further infuriating her.

"Shut up, Harley! I've beaten you every time but once when we've battled!" she yelled. "My Pokéblock is much better than yours!"

"That doesn't prove yours is better," Harley pointed out, "it just proves that you're luckier than I am."

"Well, the reason your luck is rotten is because your attitude overflows into it, maybe!" she told him off. She knew he hated when she talked like that.

"You make me so mad!" Harley growled, biting his handkerchief.

May pushed herself out the door. "Well, make your Pokéblock, Harley. I'm gonna catch up with my friends," she told him as she walked back to the pool. Misty was playing with her Azurill around the water, but Ash was no where to be seen.

"Hey Misty," May greeted the Gym Leader.

"Oh, hi May," the orange haired Water trainer turned to her. She noticed the slight distress in May's eyes. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing important," she shrugged it off, "just some jerk."

"Okay," Misty acknowledged. Her attention had already returned to Azurill. "Oh, Ash told me to tell you that he had to run some errands. He also said that he'll meet you at that ice cream parlor that the two of you saw on your way here."

May remembered the state of her personal items. "Yeah, I could probably use some shopping, too. She walked toward the exit, thanking Misty for her hospitality toward her, and left. From behind Misty, a pair of glowing purple eyes stared ominously.

* * *

**Why did Ash send want to send May away? Why is Harley following her around? Is he up to no good? Probably.**

**I want to referance this sentance, because it has some signifigance to me.**

"Well, the reason your luck is rotten is because your attitude overflows into it, maybe!" she told him off. She knew he hated when she talked like that.

**You see, in the Japanese Version of the Anime, May (AKA Haruka)often ends her sentances in the word 'kamo'. From what I know, 'kamo' indicates uncertainty for the speaker (I've also heard that it can mean nothing at all and is simply a quirk.) I worded the sentance with 'maybe' so that it would have 'kamo' in the same place. Saying 'kamo' also makes Harley very angry.**

**Anyway, see you next chapter.**


	12. Corruption

**Not very much Ash or May this chapter. This is more of a Harley and Misty Chapter. No, I'm not shipping them. That'd be wierd. What would that be called anyway? Octanshipping?**

**In anycase, "Harley's Perfect Revenge" is another case of me taking a quirk from the Japanese version of the character. Harley often speakes with english mixed with his Japanese. So if "Harley's something something" ever comes up again, that's what that's from.**

**This,by the way, is the chapter Pokeshippers may not like. What with Misty- whoops! Almost spoiled it.**

**EDIT: August, 7, 2006: Fixed a POV problem in the flashback. And maybe some other stuff I forgot.**

* * *

"Oh, are you the Gym Leader here?" Harley came out of the shadows and asked Misty. 

"Why yes I am." She smiled at him, asking, "How can I help you?"

"Well, I was just walking by, but did I hear you sending that girl off to find the boy you were talking to earlier?" Harley asked her innocently.

"Yeah," Misty said unconcerned, "he asked me to tell her when she got back. Why?"

"I thought I heard a rumor that you had a crush on a boy who was a wandering trainer with a Pikachu…" Harley smiled devilishly.

Misty blushed. She put her hands to her face, turning from Harley. "Well…" she started, smiling feverishly.

_Perfect…_ Harley thought, _I'll just make Misty jealous and turn her against May! I'll ruin her by making her friends her enemies! Harley's Perfect Revenge!_

"…I used to," Misty finished.

Harley's mouth dropped like a sack of bricks. _What? But… but my Perfect Revenge…_

"I'll tell you the story, but you've gotta promise to keep it under your hat, okay?" Misty winked at him. Harley nodded, hoping that during the story he could come up with a new way to attack May.

"It all started a long time ago…" Misty reminisced. "I got in a fight with my sisters and told them that I would come back and become the Gym Leader. I was so young then, and I didn't know what I was getting in to." She told him about how she rode her bike as far from Cerulean as she could go. She sat down near a river between Viridian and Pallet and began to fish. "'If I was going to become a Water Pokémon Master, then I've gotta catch more Pokémon,' I thought to myself," she recounted the story to Harley, "but I never thought that I would catch what I did that day." Misty told him how she fished up a young boy, cradling an injured Pikachu in his arms. He asked her where he could go to help his Pokémon, and she pointed him in the direction of the Pokémon Center in Viridian. He then stole her bike and rode off into the distance with it. "I'd later find that it was almost entirely destroyed by Pikachu's Thunderbolt," Misty recounted humorously. She would then journey to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City to confront the boy who took her bike. When she arrived, she found a distraught boy, waiting for any word that his new friend would be okay. While she did tell him off, Misty would later ally herself with the boy against a Team Rocket attack on the center. She told herself that she would journey with the boy until he repaid her for her bike. "Of course, that's what I told myself." She said to Harley, pouring him a cup of tea. She took a sip from her own cup and continued her story. "The more I followed him, though, the more I became his friend, and the less I actually wanted to get my bike back. I learned a lot about Pokémon with him, and actually caught most of my Pokémon while I was with him. I don't know when it happened, but at some point, I guess I started to feel different about him. I liked him in a different way. The way he would command in battle. The way he loved his Pokémon. I started to notice these things more and notice the annoying things he did less. I thought I would be able to mindlessly follow my crush forever."

"But then it happened. I got a call from my sisters shortly after Ash had finished competing in the Johto League. They told me to come back to the Gym and watch it while they went on a trip. I initially refused, citing Ash's debt to me of one bike as my reason. The Nurse Joy of the Viridian Center, however, had repaired my bike while I went on a journey with Ash and his friends. I gave him my handkerchief to remember me by, hoping he would understand the significance of my gift and how I felt about him. When he left for Hoenn, I didn't hear from him as often. And while I was the Gym Leader, I know I've become a better trainer. I've gotten a lot closer to my dream here than I would have if I had kept hanging on Ash's curtails. I guess I started to take the lessons Ash had taught everyone he met during his journey to heart during this time. I knew that if I loved him, I wouldn't mind letting him go for a while. And if I didn't, then my crush would fade eventually."

"I talked with his mother; the two of us became close friends. She told me what she had heard from Ash while he was in Hoenn. She told me that he had met a girl named May in Hoenn. At first, I was jealous. The thought of Ash hanging around with some other girl made me mad. But as the time went on, I didn't think it was as big a deal. I met May one day when I visited Hoenn for the Togepi Festival. She seemed like a nice girl, and she and Ash had nothing between each other besides friendship. He didn't make any advances towards me, nor did he ask for me to stay. I thought to myself, 'You know, he probably still doesn't understand that handkerchief I gave him.' It was after that that my crush began to fade. 'Ash wasn't ready for love,' I thought. I wanted to get a boyfriend to myself, but I knew that if I kept hanging on Ash, I wouldn't be happy. It was at that point I formally dissolved my crush on him. I decided to expand my options."

"So you're not in love with him," Harley said cheerily, but deep down he was feeling defeated. _I didn't need the history lesson, either!_ he mentally spat at Misty.

"No," Misty shook her head. "Both he and I matured while we were apart. His mother phoned me one day saying that he was returning home after the Hoenn League. I of course watched it on TV, but I was glad to know he was coming back. She invited me to meet him when he got home. I agreed and rode my bike. Part of me was eager to reignite those feelings I had so long ago. I took my new Azurill with me. I wanted him to see me in the best light possible. The moment of truth came and I heard him come in through the door. I walked in to see the look on his face. Instead of having these feelings of love come back to me, all I had was my friendship with him. After a surprise visit from Professor Birch and Max, May's little brother, we all had dinner. I decided to wait in Pallet before I went on home. I went outside to look at the starry sky. I was kind of down that I didn't have feelings for him anymore, but at the same time, I felt free. I knew now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I had gotten over my crush on him. As I was affirming this to myself, Ash came up behind me."

"_Hey Misty," Ash walked up and sat down next to her, "can we talk?"_

"_Sure," she responded, "what's on your mind?"_

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out the handkerchief Misty had given him. "I know what this means now," he told her, "and I can't accept it."_

"_What do you mean?" Misty asked him. She felt her cheeks flush._

"_I know you gave me this because you love me." he looked at the grass. "I'm sorry, but I can't return those feelings." He pushed the handkerchief into her hands. "Please take it back," he pleaded._

"_You know the funny part, Ash Ketchum?" she asked him. Without waiting for a response she continued, "I've already gotten over my crush on you. But I won't take it back." _

"_Why?" Ash asked her._

"_Because now it's a symbol of our friendship," she explained. "I used to like you, Ash. That's why I gave it to you. But it was just a childish crush. I've grown up a lot since we parted. Now, I want it to be a reminder to you. Of all the fun times we had together," she smiled. She closed his hand around the handkerchief and pushed his hand back to him. "You'll always be my first crush, Ash. And we'll always be best friends, okay?"_

_Ash smiled, and nodded. "Thanks, Misty. You are one of my very best friends."_

"_Now…" Misty got sly, "why did you want to give it back?"_

_Ash blushed and looked to the sky. "There's this girl I like…" he began._

_Misty smiled, "It's that May girl isn't it?" _

_Ash looked to her in wonder. "How did you know?"_

"_You're so predictable, Ashy!" She rubbed his hat against his head. "She's probably the only girl you've been around since I've been gone."_

_Ash blushed. "Can you give me some advice, Misty?" he asked her. "I mean, you're great at that love stuff, and I'm not even really sure about any of it."_

"_Okay," Misty said, "what's the situation?"_

"_Well, she went home to the Petalburg Gym, so I don't know when I'll be able to see her again. There's also this new challenge here in Kanto called the Battle Frontier, which means I'll be traveling again. I'm gonna miss her, Misty. How can I make sure we stay friends?"_

_Misty sat up and looked at the stars. "You'll have to call her often. And send her romantic letters; I can help with this part. But above anything is you can't let her get away. I regret not telling you how I felt back then, but now that you know, it doesn't seem like it would have kept my crush on you alive longer. You can't let the girl you love get away, Ash."_

"Of course, neither of us knew May would follow Ash to Pallet Town and follow him during his Battle Frontier quest. But after I came back to the Gym, I sent him a letter, wishing him good luck with May."

"So you defiantly have no feelings for him? Harley asked. He was crying on the inside.

"Nothing other than friendship," she told him, sipping more tea. "But why are you interested in that?" she smiled at him.

Harley gulped. _Does she think I like her?_ he thought. "Then what did you two talk about when you sent May away?" he asked her. "If you tell me, I'll tell you my reason."

"Oh, alright," Misty said. She recounted her conversation.

"_So Ash," Misty began when May was out of earshot, "how go things on the Love Frontier?"_

_Ash told her the things he kept out of the story while May was present. He also told her that he had admitted his feelings before he felt he was ready, only because he felt like he was going to lose her. He told Misty nearly everything: his dream about losing her, loaning May his clothes, sleeping with her, the wrestling, the sign (to which Misty laughed), and the entire situation at the Pokémon Center the night before. All of it but his injury._

"_Why was May wearing you hat, Ash?" she asked him._

"_Her bandana got torn when we landed," he lied to her, "so I loaned her my hat."_

"_Well, if you want to do something sweet for her, you should go buy her a new bandana, Ash," she shoved him playfully on the shoulder. Ash cringed. _

_When Misty asked him what was the matter, he brushed her off and told her that he was gonna buy her a new bandana, like she suggested. "Don't tell May, though. Tell her I just went on some errands. And tell her that I'll meet up with her at the ice cream parlor we saw on the way here." With that he took Pikachu and left, leaving Misty concerned over what happened to his shoulder that he didn't tell her._

"There, I told you what I talked to him about," Misty pointed her finger at Harley, "now why is it any of your business?"

"Because I know what's really going on," he said sadly. "I know what May's doing to that poor boy…"

"What?" Misty's eyes filled with concern, "What do you mean? What has she been doing to Ash?"

_She's got the bait, now to reel her in,_ Harley grinned inwardly. His face took a pathetic expression. "It's horrible, Misty!" he cried. "She's so abusive of him! When she gets mad at anyone, even her brother, she takes it out on poor Ash instead. She's been beating him since they met back up in Kanto. Even her brother and their other friend don't know." His tears were free flowing now. "Ash tries to act strong. He acts like nothing is wrong. But his shoulders are cut up where she's been lashing at him. I can only assume that without anyone else to stop her, she's been even worse to him!"

"But wait!" Misty stopped him, "How do you know? Do you even know May?"

"Of course I do!" he shouted, still crying, "I was her first boyfriend!"

Misty was shocked. "And she did this to you, too?"

"Yes!" he cried. "She would beat me herself, or she'd let her Pokémon do it for her. May is so violent. But she does well to hide it." He began to dry his eyes on his sleeve. "Ash is just an innocent boy; I don't want to see anyone else become a battered boyfriend to this violent maniac!" A full-on cry returned. "I was trying to get you to fight her on your own so I wouldn't have to relive this painful story, but I'll do what I have to if it means stopping her reign of terror!"

"I'm so sorry…" Misty began, realizing she never learned his name.

"I'm Harley, from Slateport City in Hoenn," he introduced himself.

"Well, Ash and May should come back here later today," she told Harley, "and I'll confront them then. You don't have to be here with me, if you can't handle it."

"Thank you, Misty!" he cried, hugging her. "I knew that Kanto's Gym Leaders would be upstanding enough to help me!"

In the back of his mind, he thought, _Hook, line, and sucker._

* * *

**So yeah. Misty isn't in love with Ash anymore. Deal. And Harley's purpose has been made apparent. What do you think?**

**As for Harley being from Slateport City, this was apparently mentioned in the Kanto Grand Festival. For the record, Drew is from LaRousse City, where the Deoxys Movie took place. Drew'll also be coming back soon, as well as some other recurring characters...**


	13. Cream

**I'm gonna keep on keeping on. Here's the next chapter. Ash gets to be the main character for a chunk of this chapter, then we switch back to May fora bit. As for "Why do I keep putting up two at a time?" the reason is I start to type a chapter, but don't end it before I type TWO chapters worth of material. **

**So, I'm gonna stop typing, and let you all read.**

**

* * *

**Ash walked through the bustling streets of Cerulean, looking for the store he had seen in the phone book. It claimed itself a small store that carried the "hot accessories that everyone wants." Ash cringed at the description. He could only imagine what the store looked like. The store he imagined had neon lights set up in a display right in the door. All of the walls would be painted black, and you'd be hard pressed to find an angle you could look in the store without seeing some form of perverseness or profanity. He always avoided even looking at stores like that when he walked by. 

"Pika…" the small Pokémon called as he plodded behind the trainer. "Pika pika Pikachupi pika?" he asked.

"I didn't want her to worry about me, Pikachu," the boy explained to his partner. "If Misty knew, she'd tell Mom, and then Mom would never leave me alone. She already worries about me. I don't need to tell her that I've gotten hurt by my own Pokémon."

Pikachu sighed, conceding the battle. He knew Ash would have to tell everyone eventually. The Pokémon hopped onto Ash's back and stood on his backpack, trying not to hurt the boy's shoulders. Ash stepped around a corner and saw a small building. He peered at the letters on the side of the building. He glanced down at the paper, noting that the address was the same as what was given in the phone book. The wooden frame of the building was not the image Ash created for himself in his imagination. The building looked like it needed a new coat of the pea-soup green paint. The paint had been chipping away, and the sign was not neon lights, but wooden and painted. A picture of Vaporeon with a bright purple ribbon was painted on the sign, with the words 'HIP THREADS' written in a yellow, cursive font. The sign was worn, paint chipping all over the picture. A small sign on the green door noted that they were open. He uneasily walked up to the door. He turned the knob, and stepped inside. He heard a bell ringing. Upon stepping inside, he saw that the inside of the building was faring much better than the outside. The walls were painted a pale blue, with racks of clothing sitting in the rear left-hand corner of the store, from the direction Ash was facing. Opposite the clothing racks, on the rear right hand corner of the store was a middle-aged woman. Her dark blue hair was done up in a bun, bifocal glasses sitting across her face. She smiled as she polished a gleaming golden pocket watch. The sunlight reflected off of the watch, reflecting on the woman's clothes. She wore a plain brown dress with a white apron tied around her waist. Between the woman and the clothing racks was a closed, oaken door. _The other half of the building must be where she lives_, Ash thought. He walked up to the woman and began to speak. The woman looked up and almost dropped the watch in surprise.

"Are you okay, miss?" Ash asked her.

"Misses," she corrected the trainer, showing off a silver wedding band, "And I'm okay. You just look familiar, that's all." She closed her grey eyes and shook her head. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Well, I was actually coming here to buy something for a friend of mine," he said, "You see," he said, placing his pack on the table, unzipping it, "My friend and I were out in the wilderness recently, and I got cut pretty bad." He pulled May's torn bandana out of his bag. It was stained with his blood, but Ash thought of the caring girl who had destroyed it for him. He placed the halves on the table and continued, "She had to tear her bandana up to bandage me. Anyway, I was wondering if you all had something about the same size." He tried to place the tears alongside each other, so that the woman could get a good idea. She shifted her glasses, staring at the material.

"I think we have something like that," the woman said, stepping out from behind the counter. Her heeled shoes clicked as she walked around the store. In the front of the store, right behind the dusty windows was a hat rack. Ash glanced across the rack. He saw hats from sports teams, like the Electabuzz and the Starmie, sitting among a few headbands and berets. The woman reached up and pulled down a single, green headband. The pattern was similar to May's red bandana, but the white Pokéball pattern was in a different spot. She walked back up to the counter and started tapping buttons on the cash register. The antiquated machine displayed $15.00 as the price for the bandana. Ash thought that such a simple piece of cloth shouldn't have cost so much, but he laughed it off, reminding himself how little he knew of fashion. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the money. She placed the bandana thoughtfully in a box, folding it gently. She handed the small box to the boy in exchange for the money he held in his hand. The cash register's bell rang out in the quiet store, startling the young trainer. He smiled as she handed him the box.

"Thank you, ma'am." he said to her.

"Pika!" the Electric-Type added, smiling. Suddenly, his ears twitched and he looked to the back door. It had creaked open with a set of blue eyes gleaming through the small opening. The woman looked back at the door, a hint of fear on her face.

The door slammed open, shaking the store. A young girl, looking much like a Nurse Joy stood in the doorway. The girl's stature would be considered short. She looked about even to Max, maybe shorter. She wore a small, blue dress with tiny, black dress shoes. Her dark-blue hair was in braided pony-tails, lying down her back, but her blue eyes and facial features obviously matched those of the famed family of Pokémon Nurses.

"It's you!" She exclaimed, pointing at Ash. "I-I can't believe it!" The girl bounded up to him and looked at his face closer. "It really is you!"

"Um…" Ash backed away, "Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you!" the small girl jumped up and down. "I'm Cyndi, your number one fan!" she pointed at him.

Ash looked surprised. "You're my fan?" he asked her.

The girl nodded. "I've been following your exploits ever since I saw you back in the Indigo League! You were so cool! In your first league competition, you got to the best sixteen!" Cyndi squealed with delight, and then frowned. "I bet you would have won if your Charizard would have obeyed you. That really sucked."

"Cyndi!" the woman stomped over to Cyndi and grabbed the girl by the ear. "What have I told you about that language?"

"Ow!" the girl cried, "Ow! Sorry Mom, I won't do it again, please!" the young girl begged.

The woman let go of her daughter's ear and looked at her through her glasses. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to know…" she bowed respectfully.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked her.

"Let me introduce myself," she began. "My name is Raine, and the child here is my daughter, Cyndi. Ever since we saw you live in the Indigo Pokémon League, she's been a fan of yours."

"And then I read in the paper that you beat Drake, the leader of the Orange Crew!" Cyndi was ecstatic. "And your Pikachu was the one to knock out his Dragonite." Her eyes looked up to see the yellow paws clinging tightly around his head. "Is…is that Pikachu?" she asked.

Pikachu hopped down and walked up to the girl. At the sight of the Pokémon, Cyndi began to shed tears of joy. She ran up to him and picked him up, embracing the mouse Pokémon in a hug. "It is!" she laughed and smiled. "It really is Ash's Pikachu!" She danced around with Ash's Pokémon for a moment. Pikachu wriggled out of her grip and began to lie on her head. Cyndi laughed as the Pokémon's warm body heated her head.

"After that, she followed your progress on the internet, always wanting to hear more of what you'd been doing," Raine continued. "She followed your exploits around Johto and for her 7th birthday, her father and I took her to the Johto League Silver Conference."

"You were awesome there, Ash!" Cyndi hugged his leg with Pikachu still perched precariously on her head. "You got to the top eight, beating a lot of good trainers! You even beat Gary Oak, grandson of the famous Professor Samuel Oak!" She nuzzled his leg, and then got a depressed look on her face. "Then Harrison and his Blaziken," she added, mocking Blaziken in her voice, "knocked you out in the next round. I'm glad that guy got what was coming to him, losing right after he beat you."

"Actually," Ash pried her from his leg and kneeled to face her, "I learned a lot from my battle with Harrison. If it wasn't for meeting him, I would have never gone to the Hoenn Region. I made a lot of good friends there and caught some amazing Pokémon."

"Yeah, but I wish you could win a big tournament someday," Cyndi said dejectedly, "so everyone else can see how great you are."

"Well, it's been great meeting you two," Ash told them, backing out of the store.

"It's been great meeting you, too!" Cyndi waved to him. "If you're ever nearby, you can come and visit!"

"You know where to find us," Raine bowed respectfully to him.

Ash walked out the door and began to walk down the street. Pikachu hastily ran through the door as it was closing and leapt on to the trainer's back. He decided now would be a good time as any to go to the ice cream parlor. He had hoped May wouldn't beat him there. He didn't need to look more suspicious than he already did.

May walked out of a pharmacy, resupplied and ready for sweets. She turned down the road to the ice cream parlor near the park. The building was made of brick and looked rather new. May knew she would have to wait for Ash to show up, but she would rather wait in an air-conditioned building. "He's probably off watching a Pokémon or something," she laughed to herself. May open the revolving door and was surprised at what she saw.

The floor was black and white tile, in a checkerboard pattern. Around the building, there sat tables of varying sizes and shapes. Cushioned booths for two lined the walls with round tables in the booths at each corner, presumably for parties or family outings. But that wasn't the surprising part.

The surprising part came when she saw who was working at the counter. A man with blue hair who was adjusting the paper hat on his head, trying to look professional, stood behind the front counter. A woman with long, red hair tirelessly cleaned the ice cream dispensing machine. And a small, feline Pokémon scrubbed under the tables around the room with a small rag.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" May exclaimed, getting the attention of the familiar trio. They all looked up and saw the girl. The team all screamed in surprise. "What are you guys doing here?"

"If you want ice cream, we won't give you trouble!" The woman began.

"Instead of a single scoop, why not try a double?" the man looked to May.

"A sweet taste as old as the galaxy!" she posed dramatically.

"Sent here to fill your tummy!" the man followed suit.

"Wait!" the Scratchcat Pokémon cried, "I'm not ready yet!"

"To denounce the evils how low-quality treats!" the red haired woman spun around.

"To extend our reach with delicious sweets!" the blue-haired man caught her.

"Jessie!" the woman looked up.

"James!" The man also turned to May.

"And Meowth are da- OW!" the Pokémon leapt up, hitting his head on the table he was under.

"Whenever you want some after lots of hard labor…" Jessie raised her hand to the ceiling.

"Team… Creamer" James said, awkwardly.

"Will be dere…" Meowth crawled out from under the table, his paw on the lump on his head.

"With a new ice cream flavor!" The trio brought it together.

"Wobbuffet!" The Pokémon came out of his Pokéball, also wearing one of the paper hats.

"Team…Creamer?" May could barely contain her laughter. "What are you guys up to?"

"Meowth," James turned to his Pokémon partner, "you'd better explain. Jessie and I need to stay at our posts."

Meowth and May walked over into a corner booth. She sat down and scooted over, making room for Meowth to sit. The cat Pokémon began to tell the story. "Ya see, after our Weezing Air-Mecha was destroyed, we were blasted off to land in Cerulean City. We tried to call da Boss, to ask for some more money, but he wouldn't give us any. We used all of our money on the Weezing Air-Mecha; we even drained the food budget. Without any money, we wouldn't be able to eat. We were down on our luck when the guy who runs this joint needed some new employees. He agreed to hire us and give us our first weeks pay, upfront. After, of course he got us to sign a contract. He did a background check on Jessie an' James, but thankfully we got off clean enough to pass. But Cerulean is known for all da cops that roam around here. If it gets out that we're from Team Rocket, we'll be thrown in the slammer!"

"I don't get it…" May furrowed her brow, "Why do you have to keep a low profile? In Hoenn, you guys didn't seem to worry about being noticed…"

"Dat's because Hoenn an' Kanto have two different criminal elements," Meowth explained. "Team Rocket is known all throughout da Kanto Region as the top organized crime ring. Our influence even extends into the Johto Region. We're one of the most powerful criminal organizations on da planet," he boasted. The Meowth became embarresed. "But we don't got anything going on in da Hoenn Region. That's why no one thought we were bad guys until we showed 'em."

May hummed and thought. "So, you guys needed the money to eat, so you all got a job here in the parlor?

Meowth nodded. "That's about the size of it. Please, we're beggin' ya! Don't turn us in! We'd rather work for money than be in jail!"

May nodded, a frown on her face. "Fine, but you guys owe me!" she pointed to Meowth.

Meowth rubbed his paws together. "Alright, we owe ya. Thank you!" he leapt into May's lap and gave her a hug.

May pried him off of her and held him by the fur on his back. "I think we're close enough," she said.

The bell on the door rang as a trainer with a Pikachu on his back walked in through the door. He immediately assessed the situation.  
"Team Ro-" he managed to get out before May covered his mouth.

"I'll explain what's going on. Meowth needs to get back to work." May told him, guiding Ash with his mouth covered to a booth made for two. She sat him down across from her and began to talk to him about the plight Team Rocket was in. He agreed to let them work, but added the same 'you guys owe me' sentiment that May did. Meowth nodded, thankful that the twerps would keep their secret. They turned to Meowth and ordered some ice cream. May ordered a brownie sundae, and Ash ordered a banana split. The Pokémon took their order and ran it up to his partners. They sat down, with Pikachu sitting on the table, waiting for his part of the banana split.

"Hey, Ash, I wanted to ask you something?" May broke the silence. Ash looked up from something in his lap.

"What is it, May?" he responded.

"When we were telling Misty how we ended up in Cerulean, why did you keep interrupting me?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Ash gulped. He hadn't known she had noticed.

"Well, when I was going to tell Misty that you got hurt, you interrupted me and started talking about us camping. You moved on to eating berries, then the center!" The hurt in May's voice was apparent. "Why did you try so hard not to let Misty know?" she asked him.

"Well…" he started.

"And then you go on and get me to leave the room just so you all can have a private conversation!" she exclaimed. "What was that about?"

"May, are you jealous?" Ash asked her.

A small blush came over her face. "No, but I thought you said you liked me…" Her face became embarrassed. "and I didn't think you could be interested in me and still have feelings for Misty…"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Ash laughed. May looked up to his face. "You're concerned about nothing!"

"Huh?" May was confused now. "Then why all the secrecy?"

Ash blushed, placing his hand behind his head. "I guess I better come clean then, huh?" he said. May blinked. "The reason I was talking to Misty alone is because I wanted to ask for her advice."

"About what?" May asked him.

"About…" he turned bright red for the first time since he had admitted to May, "about love. I know that I'm no good at being 'romantic', so I asked Misty for help. She's the one who convinced me to tell you."

Ash recounted his conversations with Misty about love to May. He told her about their meeting after the Hoenn League before she showed up in Kanto. He also told her what he talked about when he sent her away.

"But why did you want to keep it secret?" May asked him.

"So you would think all the sweet things I would do would be my idea," he admitted, "I thought that if you knew I was asking for help, then it wouldn't mean as much."

"Okay…" she said. Then a bright smile crossed her face. "So, Ash…where's that new bandana you got for me?" she asked.

Ash had realized he let the cat out of the bag from when he recounted his recent conversation with Misty. He reached into his lap and placed the small, pale box in front of her. She opened it and took the green bandana out.

"They didn't have any red ones…" he smiled, embarrassed. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind green."

"Oh, it's so cute!" May squealed. She took Ash's hat off her head and tossed it to Pikachu. She placed the cloth on her head and began to tie it in the back.

_It really does look cute on her_, Ash thought, not realizing what he was thinking.

"There's something I wanted to say, too," Ash added. "I wanted to apologize."

"Now you have to apologize?" May laughed. "For what?"

"When I told you how I felt…" Ash began. He was interrupted by Meowth placing their ice creams and a bill in front of them. They thanked Meowth, who bowed and walked to take care of further patrons. "When I told you how I felt about you, I don't really think I was ready," he finished his thought.

"Hmmm?' May looked at him inquisitively, hot fudge and whipped topping on her cheeks.

"I was following Misty's advice to try to keep you with me…" Ash explained. "She told me not to let you get away. And I was kinda in a bind. I even stooped low enough to get Pikachu to spy on you." The mouse Pokémon gulped, his hands and face sticky with ice cream from Ash's banana split.

"Don't worry, Pikachu," May calmed him down, "I already figured that Ash sent you to spy on me." Pikachu, now calmed, continued to eat Ash's ice cream.

"Well, anyway, I wanted to apologize for that," Ash said.

"Apology accepted!" May beamed a smile at him.

"Oh, and May?" Ash asked her.

"What?" she said, dropping the second half of her brownie back into the plastic bowl.

"Can we sleep separate tonight? I mean, I didn't really mean to fall asleep with you last night, but that's just how it happened." He explained.

"What's wrong?" May's eyes flickered, her spoon sitting in her mouth. "Are you afraid I'll try something funny on you while we sleep?" she asked him suggestively.

The images from Ash's nightmare earlier that day came flying back to his mind. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "Well, kinda. That is, umm… I don't think it'd be appropriate for us to start sleeping together. We're still young, and not even officially a couple or anything yet!"

"Calm down, you baby!" May laughed, "I was just kidding! I was actually thinking the same thing earlier today. I don't think it would look to good if Max and Brock come in during the night and see us sleeping together. Can I ask you something, then?"

"What now?" he asked.

"Why did you sleep with me last night?" she asked him, blushing over her empty ice cream bowl.

"I was trying to comfort you, I guess." Ash looked out the window. "You seemed upset, and I know that you'd normally hang on to Max when you'd be like that. I was trying to help you feel better."

"Well, thank you," May commended him. "You did a great job."

"Like I said, May. Anytime," Ash reminded her.

* * *

**I thought that that was a good place to close this chapter. I also belive that this is the longest current chapter.**

**So what'd yall think? Like anything in this chapter? Don't like something? Send in a review, I suppose. I'll keep on keeping on untill this story reaches its end.**


	14. Candidate

**Misty fans, beware. I can almost guarentee that you won't like how she acts this time. Read on, and complain if you want. Advanceshippers are also in for a scare at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Ash and May stood up and walked toward the counter where a cheerful James took the money for the ice cream, gave them their change, and bid them farewell as they walked out the door. After walking toward the Pokémon Center for a few minutes, May began to complain about the heat. 

"Ash!" the girl whined, "can't we go do something? The heat is killing me!"

Ash was glad to be wearing his hat again. Although he thought it smelled like May's shampoo. "I guess we could ask Misty if we could go swimming in the Gym Pool…" Ash thought out loud.

"That's a great idea, Ash!" May grabbed his arm and pulled him along. As Ash was being pulled along, he heard some ruffling in the bushes behind him. He turned his head, and the ruffling ceased. For the second time today, Ash felt as if he was being followed.

May managed to drag them to the Gym, stepping through the door. This time, no one was sitting at the counter. "Hello?" Ash called out.

"Are you here, Misty?" May added.

"Pikachuuu!" the Pokémon put his words in.

The crimson-headed Gym leader stomped into the entrance area. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable.

"You…" she growled, "you…"

"What, Misty?" May was startled.

"You bat faced weasel!" Misty shouted at the girl as she brought her hand across the coordinator's face. May held her cheek, tears forming in her eyes.

"Misty!" Ash grabbed her by the shoulders. "What's gotten into you?"

"I know what she's been doing to you, Ash!" Misty shook free and faced down May. The young girl held her face, tears streaming.

"What do you mean, Misty?" Ash held her back.

"She's been taking advantage of you!" Misty turned to Ash, grabbing him by the collar.

Ash shook himself from Misty's grip. "What do you mean, Misty?" Ash's voice was serious, now. "And why all the pressure against May?"

"I know what she's been doing to you!" Misty shouted at him. Misty turned to the girl who had been stunned silent since the slapping. "She's a two-faced, conniving, cruel monster!" she shouted, pointing at the girl. May looked up to Misty, her eyes full of sadness and disbelief.

"Misty, the only one being two-faced right now is you!" Ash pulled her back. Her spun her around and glared intensely in her eyes. "Now tell me what's going on!"

"She's been hurting you, Ash!" Misty shouted at him, anger and compassion in her voice. "I can't stand to see my best friend like this!"

"What do you mean?" Ash was puzzled.

With that, Misty brought her hand down sharply into Ash's right shoulder. The boy cried out, and fell to his knees, his left hand gripping the point.

"Ow…" Ash moaned…" what'd you do that for?"

"To show you how the injuries she's inflicted on you affect you!" Misty snapped at him.

Pikachu leapt from Ash's back to his defense. "Pikaaa…" the normally friendly Pokémon stood his ground, sparks flying from his cheeks. "Pikachupi, pika pika Pikapi pi Pikachu, pika pi-ka!"

"So I see you're in on this, too, Pikachu." Misty looked down her nose at him. "I'm surprised. I thought you'd be the one to help him against her, but I see you're just as weak willed as he is."

"Misty!" May spoke up, "stop! Quit hurting your friends! Just give us a chance to explain!"

"And give you a chance to charm your way back with lies?" a voice from the pool room called out. Harley, with a stern and serious look on his face, stepped into the room.

"It's you!" May screamed, her voice becoming hoarse from the crying. Her eyes widened, her fists clenched. "What have you been telling Misty!"

"I've been telling her the truth," Harley averted his gaze from the tearful trainer. "I've told her all your dirty secrets about how you've been abusing poor Ash here."

"That's not true…" Ash climbed to his feet. "May's never laid a finger on me!"

"Then how do you explain this?" Harley shouted, producing a picture he had printed out from the internet. May and Ash gasped at a picture of Ash being attacked by Torchic's Ember attack.

_Those stupid paparazzi!_ May cursed them in her mind. The day they had journeyed into North Petalburg prior to Ash's fifth Gym battle in Hoenn came to mind. Being giddy from all of the praise she was getting, she accidentally had let Torchic burn Ash during the battle there against his Taillow. Conveniently for Harley, Ash's Taillow wasn't in the picture.

"I can explain!" May screamed at them, her eyes running out of tears to produce.

"I think you've done enough, little girl!" Misty pointed at her. "I challenge you to a battle!" May's eyes widened in shock. Misty began to walk up to the girls face, but Pikachu jumped between them and let out a Thundershock to separate them. He turned to face Misty, this time, true anger across the Electric-type's face.

"What?" May couldn't process everything fast enough.

"Misty, you gotta believe us!" Ash turn, grabbing her arm. "Harley's a big liar. He's got a vendetta against May, and is just trying to get you to turn on her."

"Ash, I can't believe you!" She pulled her arm out of Ash's hand. "You'd stand with this witch, even after she's done all of these things to you!" She pushed him back to the ground, her anger getting out of her control.

"You leave him alone!" May shouted, slapping Misty across the face. "He's done nothing to you but try to reason with you, and you have the nerve to hurt him!" Her nearly ever-present tears had returned. Her breathing was rapid through her clenched teeth. "I accept your challenge!"

"Good," Misty leered at her. "It'll be a one on one battle, to be held three days from now, the day after Brock and Max get here. I want them to see it. If I win, then you have to go into complete detail on the speaker in Cerulean Gym as to your relationship with Ash."

"And if we win…" Ash pulled himself back to his feet. He glared angrily at Misty. "You have to give us some compensation. What you did to her just now was completely out of order for a Gym Leader to do. I don't know what Harley said to you, but if you take his word above your friends, then you must have hit a new low."

"Ash, you're too proud for your own good!" Misty said to him, sternly. "Why don't you come clean? She's been attacking you with her Pokémon! Why don't you just let your pride go and tell us what she's been doing to you?"

"That's it!" Ash could stand it no longer. "I challenge you to this battle as well. Make it a tag battle!"

Misty smirked. "Good. That way I can humiliate you both, and you both have to admit to what's been going on."

"How about we make one more specification?" Harley asked, approaching the group. "Let's make this a Contest Battle. I'll be Misty's partner, of course." He wanted to best May in a battle that put her integrity on the line. So he could strip it away.

"Fine with me!" Ash snarled at Harley. He then took the distressed May by the arm and began to lead her out. "C'mon, May. We can tell when we're not wanted around." Pikachu leapt into May's arms, trying to comfort the girl. She could only cry as Ash took her out of the Gym with him.

"Don't bother coming back to the Gym, Ash!" Misty shouted to the leaving trainer. "You're both banned from the Cerulean Gym from now on, until the day we battle! And make sure you watch the news tonight. I'm sure you'll find it interesting." Ash heard these words as he left the Gym, the doors automatically closing behind him. May cried into Pikachu's soft fur.

Harley watched with utmost satisfaction. May was torn up that Misty would turn so quickly. And she was even more deeply wounded when Misty took out her anger on Ash. The girl was reduced to tears more than once in this encounter. However, in order to make his vengeance complete, he'd have to defeat her in the coming battle. _With Misty's help, that should be simple! Harley's Perfect Revenge is back on track!_

They had stepped into the grass outside the Gym. May fell to her knees, crying loudly.

"It'll be alright, May," Ash placed his hand on her back, comforting her, "all we have to do is win the battle three days from now. Then Misty will have to see things our way."

"But why?" May sobbed, hitting the ground with her fist. "Why did she say those terrible things?" She reached for a rock on the ground and began to wind her arm back. "I hate you, Misty!" she shouted. She tried to throw the rock, but her arm was caught by Ash's hand.

"No," he calmly told her, gently rubbing her back, "Let's not sink to Harley's level. Never say you hate anyone. You never know when they could become your friend. People like Harley hold stupid grudges and never can let them go. That's a lesson he'll never understand."

May could only sit there and cry, with Ash trying to comfort her. He looked back to the glass doors of the Gym, but Misty and Harley had disappeared into the Gym.

"Well, I guess you've gotten yourself into trouble again," a familiar voice came up down the path leading from the Gym. Ash and May both looked up to see a familiar green haired boy walking towards them.

"Drew!" both Ash and May turned to him. May wiped the tears from her eyes and stood to face him.

"How did you get back so quickly?" Ash asked him, "Max said it would take him and Brock about three days to arrive."

"Did you forget about my Flygon already, Ash?" Drew asked him rhetorically. "I rode him here. He can make pretty good time when he needs to. It really wore him out, though, so right now he's resting at the Pokémon Center." A look of concern shot across his face. "What happened in the Gym? Why was May crying?"

"I think we better find a more private place to talk about this," Ash commented, "and I think I know the place." He turned to the bushes and called out. "Alright, Cyndi, come out of the bushes."

Drew and May put a stunned look on their face as the small girl walked out from behind the bushes.

"How did you know I was there?" Cyndi protested.

"You didn't make yourself hidden very well," Ash pointed out. "Besides, blue hair sticks out a ton among green bushes."

The small girl became flushed and walked up to the trainers. Pikachu leapt to her head.

"We're going to your house, Cyndi. We can talk in private, there." Ash explained.

The girl nodded, taking the lead and guiding the trainers to the small clothing store in the outskirts of Cerulean City.

When they arrived, Raine led them into the living room behind the store front. The room wasn't painted, the wooden boards serving as the backdrop. A dusty window sat in the back of the room, the afternoon sun gleaming in. Ash sat on the couch in the middle of the room, next to May, who sat next to Drew, who sat next to Cyndi. Ash and May recounted their adventures when they were separated. When Ash was about to come up with a story as to how May's bandana got ripped, May halted him. "No more lies," she said. "Not when Harley is using them to use Misty as his tool!" With that, Ash backed down. He let May tell the rest of the story at her leisure.

May didn't tell the story in its entirety, however. She also left out many of the times she and Ash were close. Ash chuckled in the back of his head. _She's probably worried about what Drew'll think,_ he thought. He told himself he'd point out May's hypocrisy later.

Drew thought for a moment, then turned to Ash. "Well, I'll be willing to help you train for the contest battle," he said.

"Really?" Ash asked him. "That'd be great!

"Thanks, Drew," May smiled at him, "I knew we could count on you to help."

"Don't mention it," he waved off the praise. "We'll start bright and early tomorrow."

"Okay," Ash nodded, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Hey!" Cyndi spoke up, pointing at the small television she was watching. "Misty's on TV!"

Sure enough, the Cerulean Gym leader was holding a press conference in front of the Gym. She stood along side her sisters and Harley. Various flashes from a multitude of angles kept illuminating her body.

"I've issued a challenge to a trainer by the name May, a Pokémon Coordinator from the Hoenn Region," she announced. The news program cut to a picture of May. It was the profile shot taken during the Kanto Grand Festival. Misty continued to talk while the picture was on screen. "I can't get into specifics as to why I must battle her, but I can tell you that it will be three days from today. It'll be a tag battle between her and… a very close friend of mine that has chosen to be with her rather than me." A picture of Ash from the footage shot before his battle with Tucker, the Dome Ace and a Frontier Brain, appeared onscreen. It was a picture that had been taken during the press conference. May's face was unaltered, but the faces of Brock, Max and Scott where blurred out. The footage changed back to Misty with her supporters in front of the Gym. "My partner will be this trainer, Harley." As she said this, Harley waved shyly at the camera. "It will be a Contest Battle with each trainer using one Water-Type Pokémon." Misty turned and began to walk into the Gym. The reporters began to crowd the area, but Misty's sisters and Harley held them back.

"Please," Harley pleaded with them, "Misty's been through a lot today. She's had to face some very ugly truths, and now she needs her rest." He managed to keep the reporters at bay long enough for Misty to retreat into the Gym. Misty's sisters began to distribute posters, hoping to hype up the battle and sell tickets. The screen had flickered back to the news anchor who began to put in his opinion.

"What'd she do that for?" Ash shouted, "Is she trying to make us look like the bad guys?"

"No," Drew said, looking at the screen, "this is more Harley's style. I'll bet he convinced Misty that a large crowd would be there to see the humiliation."

"That just makes me hate Misty even more!" Cyndi shouted, shaking her fist at the picture of the Gym Leader that appeared on screen.

"Why don't you just tell her the truth about what happened?" Raine asked, walking in from the kitchen.

"We tried," May explained, "but I couldn't get her to listen to me."

"Well, that doesn't matter anymore," Ash stood up. "Misty's thrown down the gauntlet, and now we have to clear ourselves by winning. We'll uncover Harley's web of lies only by battling." He turned to May, "Because it's a Water-Type battle, I'm using Corphish."

May pulled a Pokéball from her belt. "I guess that means I've gotta use Squirtle," she said.

"With the news of this going around, it might be too dangerous for you two to go back to the Pokémon Center," Drew said. "You two better stay here."

"You're right," Ash said. Then he leapt up. "Oh, no! News of this might have reached Pallet Town by now!" he gasped.

"Do you think they'll even go to Petalburg to try to talk to my father?" May asked.

"They might…" Drew said, thinking. "I better get going," he said, turning to the door, "We're going to have an early day tomorrow."

"Hey, Drew?" May spoke up, "can we talk for a bit?"

"Sure, May," he said, leading her outside. Ash couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as they left the building. Ash followed Raine into the kitchen to help her fix dinner.

"Drew…" May started, "thanks for agreeing to help Ash. He's never had a contest battle before, so this'll help him a lot."

"Don't mention it, May," Drew smiled at her. "I'd really appreciate it if you came with us to watch. You might learn something, yourself!" he laughed.

"Hey," May smiled back at him, "who beat you in the Kanto Grand Festival?"

"You only won because of the time limit!" Drew sneered.

"Well, I was actually planning on it, anyway" May turned from him and said matter-of-factly.

"May…" Drew whispered to her. She turned to see a rose in her face. "I missed you while you where gone." He said. "I was worried that something bad might have happened to you."

May took the rose out of Drew's hand and held it to her chest. She smelled it for a moment. "You didn't have to worry about me, Drew," she smiled at him, "I had Ash with me, and he made sure I was okay."

"But I could tell that he was getting injured by the way Swellow was grabbing him. I was worried that Ash wouldn't have been able to protect you," he explained.

"Yeah, I heard how worried you where when I called," May added. "Max told me that you'd been searching nearly all day and night for us."

"Honestly, May," He looked into her sapphire eyes with his emerald eyes, "I was only looking for you." He ran his fingers through May's locks and caressed the cheek that Misty had slapped earlier that day. May couldn't help but feel herself blush. He gently turned his head and kissed her on the cheek. At that, May fell to her knees, unable to stand. "I'll see you around," he told her, walking off. She looked back at the rose he gave her, seeing a small, white note attached to it. She took it off and read it.

_I realize things may be a bit hectic for you now. I'll wait for your answer until this mess is over with._

_With Love,_

_Drew_

May folded the piece of paper and placed it in her pack. She stood up and brushed herself off, and walked back inside, hoping noone saw the exchange between her and Drew.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of large, dark eyes had seen it all.

* * *

**Drew returns! But is he here to help, or help Ash lose? And who was watching them?**

**I really didn't like writing Misty to be so mean in this chapter. I figured that her trust in May would have been easy for Harley to break (She's only met May three times, and that's counting the morning in this story). Misty did try to get Ash back on her side. She does care about him. She buys Harley's story because it explains Ash's injury (she hasn't heard from anyone but him how it happened). And maybe, she's still a little jealous of May for getting Ash when she didn't.**

**Drew's back with a vengance, much to the chargin of Advanceshippers. I had to bring him back, or May's choice would have been between some guy she hadn't seen in ten chapters, or a guy she's spent ten chapters getting cosy with. **

**Anyway, you guys and girls can all read this chapter and review it and what not. I'm gonna start writing chapter 15.**


	15. Choices

**Here's the next part. I wonder how all of you are taking Drew's kiss? I've noticed that some Advanceshippers are pessimistic. Are you all really that concerned about Drew?**

**Anyway, enjoy chapter 15.**

* * *

"Pikachu!" Ash called from another room. The Electric-type fell backwards from his window perch, landing on his back. The door next to him opened and May stepped inside. She glanced over and saw the fallen Pokémon, lying on his back.

"Hey, Pikachu," she laughed, "what are you doing on the floor over here?" She picked him up and held him in her arms. Pikachu cooed as May rubbed his head. The coordinator walked into the back room to see Cyndi watching television, blankly flipping through channels. She turned to her right as a delicious scent wafted into the room. She carried Pikachu over to the door and looked into the kitchen. The room has white and blue tile on the floor with a yellow and blue wallpaper. The wallpaper was old, as May could tell from it peeling off certain parts of the wall, mostly toward the ceiling.

"Hey, May," Ash smiled at the rhyme he had come up with. The boy was setting plates at the table. "Did Drew leave?"

"Yeah…" she said, her mind drifting back towards her confrontation with the charming boy.

"Oh…" Ash looked down, picking up a bowl he had sat down, returning it to the cupboard nearby a cooking Raine. "Are we ready to eat, yet?" Ash asked the woman.

"Yes, it looks about done…" she said, turning the heat off of the pot. "Cyndi! Supper's ready!"

The girl wandered back into the room, absently taking a chair close to the door she had just walked in from. Ash walked into the living room to obtain a fourth chair because the table in the kitchen only had three near it. It was a rectangular table, with three chairs on the left side, coming in from the living room. Ash sat his chair across from May, who sat the furthest from the door, with Raine and Cyndi sitting in that order. Raine began to pour the stew she had made into the bowls at the table. After thanking her for feeding them, Ash and May began to eat their meal.

Raine was a good cook. Her stew tasted great and filled the stomachs of the trainers very well. Cyndi got a disgruntled look across her face while her Ash and May complemented the deliciousness of the meal.

"Mom," she asked, "Can we afford this?"

"Hush, Cyndi!" she quieted her daughter. "Don't talk about things like that in front of our guests."

"But Mom," Cyndi became outraged, "you know Dad's been late this week! If we eat all of our food now, then what will we have if it doesn't arrive until next week!"

"Hush!" Raine scolded her child.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked, having stopped eating.

"It's nothing…" Raine tried to dismiss the issue. "May, you're a Pokémon Coordinator, right? How is that working for you?"

May thought for a moment, "Well, I feel like I'm doing well," she said. "I got to both of the Grand Festivals I've tried to enter. I even got a couple rounds into them. But now that their over…" she sighed, "I guess I don't really have a goal right now. I guess I'm glad that Harley made it a contest battle. It gives me a goal, even if it's just for a couple days."

"Bah, give me Gym Battles and league tournaments, any day!" Cyndi scoffed. "Contests are just a hyped up beauty contest!"

May quickly got offended. "Hey, Contests are just as hard as Gym Battles, if not harder!" she snapped. "You have to plan interesting appeals, execute them flawlessly, then you have to battle with style in the second round! Neglecting any one part could make you end up in ruin!"

"Hey, May," Ash laughed, trying to break the tension, "calm down. I know you try your hardest at the contests, and from what I can tell, they are anything but easy. Don't let her get under your skin."

May took in a deep breath. "I've had a hard day today," she sighed.

Cyndi looked curiously at May. "Hey, Mom," she spoke up, "Can May sleep in my room with me tonight?"

"I suppose," Raine said, an eyebrow raised, "but why? You just got in a fight with her?"

"Because I want to have some girl talk with her. I mean, she's the girl closest to Ash. I want to talk to someone who has an inside view of my hero like that."

"Your hero?" May asked.

"I'll explain!" Cyndi stood on her chair. She talked about how she had first seen Ash in the Indigo League, and then heard of him when he beat the leader of the Orange Crew. She told May about seeing Ash live in the Silver Conference. She talked about how she wanted to ask May what it was like at the Evergrande Conference. "I also went to see Ash live at the Battle Dome, when he fought Tucker. I didn't realize we were in the same building, May! I want to hear about the rest of Ash's Battle Frontier matches!"

"Why can't I tell them?" Ash asked, feeling overshadowed.

"Because you're too modest, Ash." Cyndi told him. "You'd make it out to not be such a big deal. Just like when you said that you were glad to get beaten by Harrison and his stupid Blaziken." Cyndi hopped off the chair and turned to May. "Do you wanna see my room?" she asked.

"Sure," May laughed, standing up and following the girl into the other room and up the stairs.

Ash turned to Pikachu, who had barely even eaten any of the Pokémon food Ash had set before him. "Is something up, buddy?" he asked.

Pikachu just continued to stare at May until she disappeared from sight. He knew he would have to tell Ash before the day was over. It was his duty as Ash's best friend to tell Ash what happened. After May disappeared, he turned his attention to his food. He was a hungry Pokémon, after all.

May walked up the wooden stairs and turned right, following the younger girl. She stepped into the room before the younger girl could turn on the light. A quick click from the desk lamp on Cyndi's desk, and the room was brightly illuminated. The room was painted with a faded pink paint and boasted a purple carpet. The bed had pink covers and a fluffy, white pillow. Next to the bed, facing a window, was a small desk. Lots of drawling utensils were strewn across the room. A large bookcase sat opposite the bed on the right side of the room. Filling its shelves were many Pokémon Dolls. "A Pikachu, a Pidgeotto, a Butterfree…" May began. She remembered hearing of these Pokémon before. "Oh, there's a Cyndaquil, and a Totodile!" she continued. "Here's a Treecko, a Taillow, and a Corphish…" she said, coming to a realization. "These are all Ash's Pokémon…" May could point out nearly every one of Ash's captures among the dolls. The only two missing were Sceptile and Aipom. "I guess she doesn't know…" May whispered to herself. To the left of the book case, away from the window, there were some newspaper clippings. "'Local boy reaches top sixteen in first league attempt'… 'Ash does it again! Boy defeats leader of the Orange Crew'… 'Local Trainers show Pallet Pride in Johto Silver Conference'" May was amazed at all of these articles. Cyndi had been following Ash's exploits for a long time. She almost missed the article about Ash losing in the Hoenn League. It was much smaller than the others. May felt something rise in her throat. Ash has done so much, yet he still hasn't reached his goal. And it seems that a lot of the people who cheered him on no longer cared about where he was or how well he did. When she reaches the point where she'd have been traveling along just as long as Ash has been, will there still be people who care about what she does?

On the wall to the right of the book case where some very well done crayon drawings that Cyndi hastily took down. "What are those?" May asked, trying to see the pictures.

"Nothing…" the girl stated as she began pulling them off the walls. Just then she dropped a piece of paper. The paper sailed lazily toward May's feet. She picked it up and looked at it. It featured a couple, dancing. The boy was someone May could very easily identify. Dancing with Ash was a girl who looked about May's age. Her long, dark blue hair gently fell along her back, her head resting against his chest.

Before she could look longer, Cyndi snatched the picture out of her hands. "Don't be so nosey!" she scowled. She quickly rolled up the paper with the others and slid them under her bed.

May giggled. "You have a crush on Ash?" she asked.

Cyndi blushed. "So?" she asked. "It's not like you don't!"

It was May's turn to blush. "What? How do you know?"

Cyndi smiled. "Well, other than you just admitting it," she grinned, "I watched you both in the ice cream parlor. And I heard you whine to him to get him to do something for you."

"Okay," May sat in the chair in front of Cyndi's desk, "I'll admit it to you. I like Ash."

"I knew it!" Cyndi gloated. "I knew you did! Are you two gonna go steady?"

May looked up. "What? You don't know the full situation, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Cyndi was dumbfounded. "You like Ash. It's obvious he likes you, the way he jumps to your defense. I don't see the problem…"

"Well, there's this other guy…" May began.

"Is it that Drake guy?" Cyndi asked. "The one with the green hair."

"His name is Drew!" May practically shouted. She realized what she did and her face turned as red as her blouse. "I like him, too."

"I'd help you," Cyndi started, "but you know who I think you should go with…"

"You think I should go with Drew?" May asked.

"Hell, no!" the girl cussed. "Ash is much better than that Shoe guy!"

"But I thought you liked Ash?" May was furrowed her brown eye brows. "Why would you want me to be with him?"

"I can never be with Ash…" Cyndi looked down. "The age gap is too wide, and besides, I'm content being his fan. But you!" She stood on the bed so she could reach May's shoulders. "Ash has fallen in love with you! And you like him! You're living my dream!"

"Yeah, but right now, Ash and Drew seem to be pulling me into a nightmare…" May sighed.

"Well, tell me how you met Ash, and Drew…" Cyndi sat on the bed. May recounted the start of her adventure. Meeting Ash and Pikachu. Receiving her Torchic. Teaming up with Max and Brock. And becoming inspired to become a coordinator. She told Cyndi briefly of the adventures Ash and she had in Hoenn. She told her about Ash's first two Gym Battles. Then they arrived in Slateport, and May met Drew in her first Pokémon contest. May talked about her defeat, and how they met several times during her Hoenn adventures. She told Cyndi about how she lost in the Grand Festival and Drew's rose.

"Drew sounds like a playboy!" Cyndi spoke up. "I think he's only giving you a rose to seem like the romantic type, but if you where a boy, he'd treat you just as bad as Harley does now, if not worse!"

This was the second time this thought entered May's head. _Drew isn't like that, is he? He'd have helped me, even if I was a boy, right?_

"And from what I can tell, Ash treats everyone with respect and kindness unless they show him that they don't deserve it by doing bad stuff," Cyndi supported Ash's case.

May thought about this for a moment. Ash was generally easy going, and would go out of his way to help just about anyone. Only when faced by criminals, like the Rockets, the Aquas, or the Magmas did Ash act harshly to them. And it was only after they had done something first.

"I just don't know…" May turned to the window. She looked at the stars and thought of Ash and Drew. "I think we need to head to sleep, soon." May commented. "It's gonna be an early day tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Ash was helping Raine clean up after supper. He washed the bowls out while Raine moved the uneaten portion of the stew into plastic containers to eat as leftovers. She handed them to Ash, who opened up the refrigerator and placed them inside. "Hey, Raine," Ash began, "what was Cyndi talking about?"

"I'll tell you, Ash…" the woman sat down. "My husband works quite a ways away from here. He rarely ever has a time where he can come home. His work keeps him away. But he always manages to send his check home to us. Our store doesn't get much business, so we rely on him sending us that money." She looked out the window to the starry sky. "But for the last few weeks, his checks have been coming later and later. Cyndi and I are having a hard time getting by. I don't know how much longer we can keep the store open…"

"What you all need is some publicity," Ash stated. "If we could some how harness the publicity that Misty's sisters are stirring up for the battle, we may be able to get people to learn about your store!"

"How would we do that?" she asked him.

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet…" Ash admitted.

"You should get some sleep…" Raine placed her hand on Ash's shoulder. "You're going to have an early day tomorrow."

"Yeah," Ash looked down. "I'll go to sleep, now. Thank you for taking May and me in."

"It's alright," Raine assured him, "I know that you'll help us if you can."

Ash took out his sleeping bag and fashioned it into a blanket like he had done so two nights ago. He took off his sweat shirt and left it hanging on the chair he brought back into the living room. "Hey, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. He heard his friend scampering down the stairs into the room. "It's getting late. We've gotta be getting to sleep."

"Pika." The Pokémon interrupted. He had to tell him.

"What is it?" Ash was worried.

"Pikapi, Chuu pikaka Pikachu!" Pikachu, exclaimed.

"What?" Ash shouted in a hushed tone, "Are you sure? Did you see?"

"Pika." he nodded.

Ash growled. "That Drew…" he scowled, "what's he up to…" He sat down and looked at Pikachu. "I wonder, is he really gonna help me, or is he gonna get revenge for beating him the other day?"

Pikachu shrugged. He hopped into Ash's arms, snuggling close to the trainer. "I don't know who I can rely on now, Pikachu…" Ash confided in him, "Misty's turned on us, Drew's trying to use us. I hope Brock and Max'll be on our side. I wonder how everyone in Pallet is handling this…" Ash closed his eyes after that, fading into sleep.

"_Ash!" a woman in a pink blouse and blue skirt ran to him, pulling him close._

"_Mom?" Ash was confused, "What are you doing here?"_

"_We heard what nasty things Misty's been saying about you!" Ash's mother cried in her son's hair. "We've come to take you home, away from this place."_

"_What?" Ash was even more confused. From up the stairs, A man with short hair held May under his arm, easily holding her restrained under one arm. He wore a brown shirt and black jeans. "May!" Ash called out to her._

"_Ash, help!" she struggled helplessly. _

_The man walked up to Ash. His mother had disappeared. "I'm taking May back to Hoenn."_

"_But why?" Ash asked._

"_I heard the things you've done with her. I can't believe you would do such a thing…" His dark eyes focused on Ash in anger. "To think I trusted you…" he pulled his free arm back and punched Ash in the face._

Ash was jolted awake from the events in his nightmare. He looked at the ceiling for a moment, then at the old VCR sitting atop the small television. The LCD displayed 3:03. Turning his head back to the ceiling, he closed his eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. Unfortunately for him, his dreams would continue to be riddled with nightmares. Unlike a certain coordinator's.

"_Good evening, m'lady," a boy with black, messy hair bowed before her. As he stood to face her, May took notice of the neat tuxedo that the boy wore. Her eyes looked up to see the smiling face of her friend._

"_Ash!" May stood up. She at that point noticed that she was wearing a dress. It was much similar to the one she had worn shortly before her adventure with Lucario and the Regi Pokémon, except that all the red was replaced with green, taking note from her new bandana. "What's going on?" she asked._

_Ash's hand extended. "I'm asking you to dance," he said._

"_Of course I'd like to dance!" May blushed, taking his hand. He led her to the middle of the full ballroom. He placed his hands on her waist and she tossed her arms onto his shoulders. Together they began to dance. Ash led May in the dance, gazing lovingly into her sapphire eyes. May gazed into his auburn eyes, and felt something begin to well up inside of her. Before she could act, though, a familiar voice called to them._

"_May I cut in?" Drew asked Ash, also dressed very neatly in a tuxedo._

"_Of course!" Ash smiled, handing him May's hand. Drew placed his hands on May's waist, just as Ash had done, and they began to dance. His emerald eyes captivated her, keeping her from looking anywhere else as they spun. Drew stopped dancing with her and Ash walked up to the pair. _

"_I love you, May," the boys said simultaneously. They puckered their lips and each planted a sweet, soft kiss on the girl's cheeks._

May looked up from her sleeping bag on the floor to see the bright window. The sun had risen on the other side of the building, but it was already day break. She stood up and began to get dressed. The first day of training had begun.

* * *

**How did you like that? I'm sorry I couldn't describe May's dress more; I quite frankly don't know what the parts of a dress are called. It's basically her Movie 8 dress, colored green instead of red. Training begins next time, so stay tuned! If your computer requires tuning, that is. **

**Anyway, I'm headed to college pretty soon, so the next update might take longer to write. Don't think the story's just gonna end, though, I fully intend to finish this. It might just be slowed down. Just hope I get it done soon. I actually hope I can get chapter 16 up before I go. I've also estimated that 25 is about the length it'll take to get to the end of the story. It might be longer, though.**


	16. Cooking

**This is the last new chapter before I go to college. Which is tommorrow, by the way. Anyway, I'll have a two and a half hour ride down there, so my Lappy and I can can write more on the way. The next chapter will take longer to do. Band Camp is gonna take all day, I feel.**

**And we begin with more dreams! Huzzah!**

* * *

"_May, you are the image of loveliness," Drew declared to May while kneeling before him._

"_Oh, Drew…" May blushed. She held out her hand, and he took it in his._

"_Hey!" Ash shouted. He ran toward them, but was stopped by an invisible wall. Drew kissed May's hand gently, and continued to plant kisses up her arm, on her neck and finally, on her lips. When their lips met, May embraced Drew, pulling him in tightly._

"_No! Stop!" Ash shouted, pounding on the unseen obstruction. Suddenly, he felt his breath be taken away from him. He was at the bottom of the pool in Cerulean Gym. He turned to see a large, blue Pokémon, ready to swallow him_

Ash awoke from this last nightmare. He glanced over at the VCR again. The sky was still dark. The VCR told him 6:25. He grudgingly got up, fed up with the constant stream of nightmares he was being dealt. _This is as good a time as any to get something for breakfast,_ he decided. He carefully slipped out of the covers without waking Pikachu, and wandered into the kitchen to fix him something small to eat.

Opening the refrigerator, he saw they had about one and a half cartons of eggs in there. He decided, rather simply, to make a big batch of scrambled eggs for everyone in the house. He found a large pot and sat it on the burner. He pulled open several drawers before giving up on finding a whisk and decided to use a large spoon instead. Turning back to the refrigerator, he pulled out half a stick of butter and nine eggs. He figured that the humans would eat two eggs worth and Pikachu would eat only one. He then thought of how he was supposed to feed his other Pokémon. Since going to the center would thrust him into the public, would he be able to feed them? How bad was it out there, truly? He figured that he had to wait at most a day before Brock would show up with their supplies, so he could ask May to spare some Pokéblock in the mean time.

Ash began to crack open the eggs when he heard steps coming down the stairs. A glance at the window showed that the sun had risen, as it had already begun to shine directly into the window. He looked out the open doorway to see a groggy May stepping into the kitchen to see what was making the noise.

"G'morning, May," Ash greeted her, cracking open the last egg.

"Morning, Ash," she yawned, "you get some sleep?"

"Not really," Ash admitted, "I had too many nightmares."

"About what?" May asked, curious.

Ash shook his head. "Doesn't matter," he said, "just bad dreams." He grabbed the large spoon he had set aside earlier and began to break the yolks.

May walked over and peered into the pot. "Are you making breakfast?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "I figure that Cyndi and Raine will like to wake up to breakfast. Do you wanna help?"

"Sure, I guess," May shrugged. "What'cha need?"

Ash thought for a moment. "I don't really wanna put any salt or pepper in 'em," he said out loud, "they might not like that. Do you know a good egg cooking temperature?"

May turned to the stovetop and clicked a knob. "There! All set!" She eyed the butter sitting on the countertop. "Umm, Ash," she said, "the butter goes in first and melts, then the eggs go in."

Ash looked at her for a moment, then looked at the forgotten ingredient. "Oops…" he muttered.

May sighed, searching the cabinets for a large bowl. She found one, rinsed it out, and took the pot away from Ash. "Honestly," she sighed, "you're lucky I woke up. You'd have gotten most of the eggs stuck to the bottom of the pan!" She poured the pot into the bowl, using the spoon to get every bit out she could. She then placed the emptied pot on the burner she had turned on, and tossed the half a stick inside.

Ash almost jumped, "Are you sure we should be using that much butter?" Ash asked.

"Why not?" May looked at him. "My mom uses that much butter all the time at home."

"Yeah, but butter is more expensive than margarine!" Ash explained. "You can't just waste that!"

"Margarine?" May asked. "What's that? Some kind of cheapo butter?"

Ash's mouth dropped. Then he got angry. "Hey! Margarine is just fine! Not everyone gets a Gym Leader's salary, you know!"

"Would you two keep it down?" a sleepy-eyed Cyndi asked, wandering in. "You two sound like my mom and dad when they try to cook together."

Ash and May looked at each other and blushed. May turned her attention back to the cooking. The butter had melted sufficiently, so she poured in the eggs into the pot and began to cook them with the spoon she took from Ash's hand.

Ash stepped back and let May cook. He turned to Cyndi and asked her why they don't get margarine instead of butter, considering the price. "My mom doesn't want to use it," she explained, "'cuz she read in a magazine once that margarine is one molecule away from being plastic." Ash leapt up at the information, but decided that he still liked margarine anyway.

They let May cook the eggs for them. Ash began to toast some bread for everyone. During this time, Pikachu and Raine stepped into the kitchen, having smelled the eggs from around the building and Ash brought the chair back in from the living room. They all sat around the table as May began to distribute the eggs and toast around the plates. Ash watched her face light up as she placed the eggs on the plates, cutely placing a piece of toast the side of each one. Raine had poured each of them some orange juice.

But Ash could only focus on May. Images from Pikachu's espionage from last night came back into his mind. Drew kissed her. Did he do it on the lips? With his tongue? Ash shook his head. _There's no way May would let him do that!_ he told himself. Perhaps on the cheek. He wanted to do that. Ash began to blush when he thought this. He shook the thought from his head, and after sufficiently salting and peppering his eggs, he began to eat.

May looked at Ash with guilt in her heart. She knew that she couldn't tell him. _It would hurt him so bad_, she thought. _I don't want him to be angry with Drew, especially when he agreed to help Ash train._ She sighed, remembering the images from her dream. She knew she couldn't have them both like that. Ash, being who he is, would be far too jealous. And Drew would upstage Ash at every turn available, further forging a gap between them. She ate her eggs, making a sort of half sandwich with her piece of bread. Raine heard a knocking at the door and went to see who it was. She shortly returned with Drew in tow.

"Oh, hey Drew!" May greeted him, smiling. Ash bit his fork when she said his name.

"Hiya, May," Drew greeted her coolly. He turned to Ash. "Are you ready for training, Ash?" he asked.

Ash stood up, fire in his spirit and determination in his eyes. "Yeah!" he shouted. "Let's get going."

Ash ran into the living room to collect his stuff. May looked at Drew. "You want some eggs?" she asked.

"No thanks," he motioned, "I already ate this morning." He changed the subject as Ash reentered the room. "Do you guys know how bad it is out there?" he asked. Ash and May shook their heads. "There are posters for the battle on nearly every wall. I managed to sneak one here." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the poster.

It displayed the a rather menacing looking drawling of Ash and May glaring from the darkness as Misty and Harley stood in the spotlight, ready to face off against them. The words "CONTEST BATTLE" where written across the top in yellow. Below was the date and time, which was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, at noon.

"More of Harley's propaganda…" May sighed, "will we ever get a break?"

"Let's go," Ash said, turning to Drew. The male coordinator agreed, and he, Ash, May, Pikachu, and Cyndi left the house for the river not far from town. It was, however, far enough out of the way to prevent any onlookers from drawing attention to the trainers. They could see Cerulean across the river, but it was far enough away that no one could accurately identify them. Cyndi and Pikachu sat in the grass, watching the other prepare for the training.

Ash called his Corphish out from his ball, and immediately Drew began to criticize. "Oh, man, this is your Corphish?" he asked. Corphish shook his claws angrily at Drew. "The thing's got no style at all. Maybe doing some flips or something when he comes out of the ball would help?"

Ash nodded and instructed Corphish. The Pokémon nodded, and after being recalled into the ball, was immediately resummoned. This time, the Water-type attempted to flip, but landed face first on the ground. "Ah, forget it," Drew sighed, "we can work on that later."

May had brought Squirtle out of his Pokéball and was following along with Drew in the training exercise. She figured it would help her as well when they had to battle. The tinyturtle Pokémon came out of his ball spinning, before sticking his arms, legs and head outside the shell. Drew clapped and commended May. She and Squirtle blushed, while Ash and Corphish growled. Ash for the attention that Drew was giving May, and Corphish for being upstaged by the younger Water Pokémon.

The next thing Drew tried to help with was attack appearance. "Alright, Corphish, show us your Bubblebeam!" Ash declared in a commanding voice.

"Cor-" The Pokémon wound up his claw. He flung it forward with an intense force, shouting, "-phishpishpishpishpishpish," as the yellow bubbles flew from his claw.

"That's not an ordinary color…" Drew noted. At that, Corphish grinned, changing the color of the beam from yellow to green to purple to blue and back to yellow. "When did your Corphish learn to do that?" Drew asked.

Ash had to think for a moment. "I think it was when we were about to leave Lilycove City…" he recalled. "I think he changed the color to impress this Mawile there, but she ignored him, and I guess he hadn't changed the color since."

Drew shrugged. "Okay, Corphish," he told the Pokémon, "what you need to do is keep the colors rotating. That'll impress the judges in the contest." Corphish smiled and nodded, having impressed the coordinator.

Next was Crabhammer. "Can you try to change the color, Corphish?" Drew asked. "I mean, it can't be that much harder than with bubble beam, right?"

Corphish grunted and strained, the glowing claw slowly began to rotate between various colors. The Pokémon was putting considerable effort into this, and began to strain his muscles. "No, just blue is fine, Corphish," Drew told him. "That looks harder for you to keep up, so one color on your claw should be good. Maybe blue, seeing as to how it's a Water-Type attack." Corphish nodded, and his claw changed to a sky blue. This was much easier than rotating between colors.

During this time, May was practicing Squirtle's attacks. While he couldn't change Bubble's color, May knew that her true ace in this battle would be Ice Beam. She tried to teach Squirtle how to widen the beam. The river they were training next to was about as wide as the Cerulean Gym's pool, so May thought that this would be a good practice target. The Ice Beam began with its normal width, but as Squirtle tried to widen it, the beam became much less powerful. May's goal now was to help Squirtle widen the beam while maintaining the same power as the focused beam.

"May, is Squirtle alright?" Drew asked, walking over to them.

"Of course he is!" May smiled at her fellow coordinator. "We're just working on a new trick."

Drew placed his hand on May's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Well, don't over exert yourself. I don't want you missing any of my lesson," he told her, his face close to hers. Suddenly, a bright green glow came from behind them.

"Corphish!" the Pokémon shouted, glowing green for a moment.

"That must have been Harden!" Ash shouted. He kneeled down next to Corphish and began to rub the Water-Type's head. "Great job, buddy, you're really getting the hang of this!" he commended.

Corphish smiled and waved his claws into the air. May smiled at the extraordinary bond that trainer and his Pokémon. Drew saw her smiling and put on a frown. He began to walk up to Ash. "Hey Ash, why not try what we've learned so far in a practice battle?" he asked.

"Sure," Ash nodded. Corphish shook his claws in agreement.

Drew and Ash stood at the opposite ends of the clearing. Corphish stepped up in front of Ash.

"Absol, go!" Drew shouted, tossing the Pokéball containing his Dark-Type. The long-haired grey Pokémon stood before Ash and Corphish. May paused her training momentarily, sitting with Cyndi and Pikachu in the grass to watch. Pikachu leapt into May's lap and the coordinator wrapped her arms around him.

"Alright, Corphish, let's start with Bubblebeam!" Ash commanded. The Pokémon obeyed, launching a very impressive ray of rainbow-colored bubbles at Absol.

"Absol, Razor Wind!" Drew ordered. The Pokémon wound his head back, then launched the bladed attack from the blade on his face. The Razor Wind cut through all of Corphish's bubbles and slammed fiercely into the Ruffian Pokémon.

"Corphish, Crabhammer!" Ash commanded. The Water-Type leapt into action, his claw glowing sky-blue.

"Absol, Iron Tail!" Drew retaliated, a small grin on his face. Absol's tail blocked Corphish's attack and stopped him cold.

"Corphish, use Vicegrip on Absol's tail!" Ash shouted. Corphish gripped Absol's glowing tail tightly in his grip. The Water-Type flung Absol into the ground, shaking the ground nearby.

Absol rose to his feet, ready for more. "Alright Absol, use Razor Wind!" Drew ordered the Attack.

"Corphish. Harden!" Ash ordered. The crustacean stiffened his muscles and emitted a red glow momentarily. The Razor Wind slammed into Corphish, but the small Pokémon managed to endure it.

"Corphish, dig under the ground!" Ash commanded his Pokémon. Corphish spun his claws around very quickly, tunneling bellow.

"Absol, flush him out with Water Pulse!" Drew commanded. An orb of water appeared before Absol. The Pokémon mentally forced it to the ground, and a wave of water slid across the ground, quickly entering and filling Corphish's hole. The Water-Type, taken by surprise, leapt from the hole into the air, water following him. "Absol, Flash!" Drew commanded. The Dark-Type emitted a sharp, white glow, blinding Corphish momentarily. "Iron Tail!" Drew continued the offensive, his eyes filled with fury. Absol lunged at Corphish, slamming his glowing tail into the opposing Pokémon. Corphish flew backwards at Ash, zipping past him into a tree. As the Water-Type began to slide down the tree, Drew continued. "Razor Wind!" He commanded. Absol obeyed, flinging another attack at Corphish. Still reeling from the previous two strikes, Corphish couldn't move fast enough to evade the attack and took it full force. As the small Pokémon cried out in pain, Drew ordered Absol to finish Corphish off with Iron Tail, and the Disaster Pokémon began to charge at the slumped over Water-Type.

"Hey, cut it out!" Cyndi shouted, leaping to her feet. Absol stood still, and looked to Drew. "I thought this was a practice battle, not a real one!"

"You stay out of this!" Drew shouted at the girl, noticeable anger in his voice.

"Corphish can't battle anymore! You're just bullying him!" Cyndi shouted at the coordinator.

"I don't think I should take advice from someone as young as you," Drew looked down his nose at her. "I don't think you have any idea what you're talking about."

"What, is it because I don't have breasts yet, that my opinion isn't important?" Cyndi snorted at him.

Drew was taken back, having been accused of womanizing by someone barely a young girl.

"You're just mad that Ash beat you last time, and now I don't know if you're trying to showboat or if you just want to hurt Corphish enough so that Ash can't be May's battle partner!" Cyndi accused him.

"Is that true?" May looked up to him, surprise in her eyes.

"Of course not!" Drew adamantly defended himself. He tried to shift the focus off of him to someone else. "Pikachu was spying on us when I kissed you last night!" He pointed an accusatory finger at the Pokémon in her lap. Pikachu leapt up from May's lap and turned to the girl.

"Pikachu, where you really spying on us?" May asked him. The Electric-Type nodded, shame across his face.

"I bet Ash put him up to it…" Drew smirked, trying to incriminate the trainer. Ash had turned to Corphish and picked him up during the scene Cyndi had created. He held the injured Pokémon in his lap, looking down at him. Corphish's eyes were still full of determination, but the Water-Type's body wasn't able to show the same energy.

"What?" Ash looked up, clearly not paying attention to what was happening. May looked at him with hurt in her eyes, Cyndi shot him a confused glance, and Drew had a smirk on his face, successfully changing the subject from his transgressions to Ash's.

"Did you send Pikachu to spy on Drew and me last night?" May asked him.

"What? Of course not!" Ash shouted, still holding Corphish in his arms. "Pikachu wandered off by himself. I went with Raine to help fix dinner."

"Yeah, I saw Ash walk off with her after you two left. He didn't tell Pikachu anything!" Cyndi defended him.

"So says the Ash fan girl," Drew smiled. It was so easy for him to blow holes in their defense. Cyndi quieted down, looking at her feet.

"Look, May," Ash turned to her, "I'm telling you, I didn't tell Pikachu to follow you. You can believe me, or you can believe Drew. It's your decision, not mine."

"I think…" May stood up, "that it's time for lunch." May smiled at the irritated group, trying to make even a temporary peace. They agreed, their arguing and training having worked up an appetite. Cyndi brandished a small cooking pot, and sat it on a pile of sticks. May used Combusken to light the fire like she did when she and Ash were lost together. Cyndi poured some of last night's stew into it to get heated up. Ash and Drew pulled bowls and spoons out of their packs and distributed them among the group. After May poured each of them some of the warmed stew, they began to eat. Ash took a spoonful and fed his injured Corphish. The Water-Type enjoyed the food as Ash took a spoonful for himself. Drew had given Absol some Pokéblock while the food was getting ready, but Ash was giving up part of his food for his friend. May saw this and thought very fondly of how Ash treats everyone. This was a stark contrast to how Drew had just been arguing with Cyndi. She smiled at the trainer as he cared for his injured partner.

Cyndi looked into the embers, the fire having been put out by Squirtle. To her, Drew had already proved that he was only nice to girls he found attractive. She saw Drew as a macho, sexist punk who needed to be put in his place. His harshness toward Ash and Corphish, and wanting to ignore herself made her dislike him even more. _What does May see in him?_ she asked herself. _I guess he's sorta cute, even if it looks like he doesn't eat well enough. And the roses are a romantic touch._ Cyndi found herself wanting Ash to take on that quality. She sighed, and hoped that this afternoon's training would go better.

May looked into her stew and thought about what Drew had done. _Why was he so desperate to change my focus from him to anyone else? Was he afraid that I would think badly of him?_ The scene replayed through her head. Drew had brought Pikachu up, even though he had nothing to do with the situation at hand. May pondered this for a moment, and then looked to the sky. The sun was already passed overhead; afternoon was drawing close. She hoped that Ash and Drew would get along better in the next round of training.

* * *

**Drew's being intense in the training, and I think Cyndi has the right idea. He's truly giving him good advice, but is it for Ash's benefit, or because May likes it when he helps her friends?**

**As for Corhpish and the Color Changing, in AG105, the color of his bubbles changed, probably because of better special effects. I decided to twist it into the chapter.**

**And the margarine quip is something my girlfriend's mom told me once.**


	17. Crying

**Here's my first chapter from college. Band camp is fun!**

**I borrowed some Ideas from AG186 (May VS Drew! Rivals Forever), so I figured this would be a good time for me to say again, that I don't own Pokémon, or all of the characters, places, etc. Copyright to all of those to their respective holders.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

The group packed up their items, but had to wait for Corphish to get better before training could resume. Ash placed the tired-but-fed Pokémon back into his ball for resting. Drew thought he could help May practice by giving her a practice battle. Ash and Cyndi sat in the grass on the sidelines with Pikachu sitting in Cyndi's lap. The two coordinators faced off against each other in the clearing.

"Squirtle, take the stage!" May spun and tossed her Pokéball into the air. The ball snapped open, and a spinning shell spun in the air. The head, arms, legs, and tail of Squirtle popped down, the Pokémon landing on his feet.

"Butterfree, go!" Drew shouted, tossing the ball into the air. The Pokémon appeared, but it was one May didn't know Drew had. Her body was in two segments. The top featured her large, red segmented eyes and antennae. The lower and larger portion of her blue body housed her small claws and long feet. Her black and white wings featured a beautiful pattern.

"Free!" the newly reveled Pokémon chirped.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a Butterfree, Drew!" May smiled at him, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the yellow Pokédex that Professor Oak had given her. She opened it and pointed it at the Pokémon. It whirred for a moment, then clicked.

A picture of Butterfree appeared on the screen, and the recording of data on Butterfree began. "Butterfree," said the Pokédex, "the Butterfly Pokémon. It has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. It can seek, extract, and carry honey from flowers blooming over six miles away."

"That reminds me of your Butterfree, Ash," Cyndi commented.

"How did you know I used to have a Butterfree?" Ash asked her.

"Misty told the kids at the Gym one day. She's told a lot of stories about you. She told us about the time Butterfree helped fight against a Tentacruel that was attacking Porta Vista in the story of how she got Horsea."

Ash thought about this for a moment. Misty had sung his praises in the past. _There's gotta be a way we can get Misty to see that Harley's lying. It's too late to tell her the truth. The battle's already scheduled, so we're gonna have to fight, anyway. I hope I can snap her out of it,_ Ash thought to himself. He knew he had to wait for Corphish's strength to come back before he could continue, so he decided to watch May and Drew battle so he could pick up some tips.

"Squirtle, use Bubble!" May ordered. Her small Squirtle took in a breath, and then blew a flurry of bubbles in Butterfree's direction.

"Butterfree, Gust!" Drew commanded. Butterfree flapped her wings rapidly, blowing the bubbles away from the battlefield.

May grunted at her failed assult. 'Squirtle, come in close with Rapid Spin!" she told her Water-Type. Squirtle pulled his body into his shell, and began to spin through the air at Butterfree.

Butterfree lurched skyward, causing Squirtle to miss. "Butterfree," Drew commanded, "Psychic attack!"

Butterfree began to glow bright blue, her eyes emitting the most light. Squirtle's shell also took the glow. Butterfree mentally began spinning Squirtle backwards and forced him onto the ground in front of May. The spinning shell dug a small hole in the ground. When Squirtle came out, he looked slightly dazed. The Tinyturtle Pokémon shook it off quickly and awaited May's next command.

"Squirtle, try Ice Beam!" May commanded. Squirtle opened his mouth and began forming a bright, glowing blue ball in front of it. He fired the arcing beam of cold energy at the Butterfly Pokémon overhead.

"Butterfree, Protect!" Drew ordered. The Pokémon created a green force field around herself. The Ice Beam was absorbed by the field, causing Butterfree no damage at all.

"C'mon, Drew! Take me seriously!" May protested.

Drew looked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't launched an attack at me the entire battle except for that Psychic defense," May pointed out. "All you've been using are defensive techniques!"

"And what's wrong with that?" Drew asked her skeptically.

"If you want me to respect you, then take my battle seriously!" May shouted.

Drew's expression turned stern. "Alright, then I'll have to expose the flaws in your battle style."

"The flaws in my battle style?" May asked.

Squirtle glared at Butterfree, who remained enigmatic. Butterfree began to charge at Squirtle at high speed.

"Squirtle, use Bubble!" May commanded. Squirtle once again launced the bubbles at Butterfree. The bubbles began to glow blue before they hit Butterfree. They stopped in mid air and began to form a circle around Butterfree, who was also glowing with the blue color.

"I said take me seriously, not keep playing with me!" May shouted in anger.

"I'm teaching you a lesson, May," Drew's face remained stern.

"You know what, then? I'll have to teach you one, then!" May shouted. "Squirtle, Ice Beam!"

Squirtle's Ice Beam was shot at Drew's Pokémon, but the bubbles Butterfree held with her mind intercepted as Butterfree flew sideways. The bubbles froze into orbs of ice, still held by the Bug-and-Flying type.

"Now, Butterfree!" Drew ordered. At her master's insistence, Butterfree tossed the frozen Bubbles in Squirtle's direction. Some shattered around him, startling the young Pokémon. But most hit their mark, injuring Squirtle and landing him on his back. "Finish this with Psybeam!" Drew ordered. From Butterfree's antennae shot a beam of concentrated psychic energy. The beam crashed into the Water-Type, sending him backwards to lay unconscious at May's feet.

May picked up Squirtle and looked up at Drew in disbelief. "But how-"

"You fight too much like Ash does," Drew told her. "All offense and little defense. Contests require defense. Without that, you'll never beat Misty or Harley." He recalled Butterfree and started to walk back to Cerulean. "You both have that problem," he told them while walking away. "Ash fights with a trainer mindset, and May's been learning from a poor source for coordinator strategies." He turned to them once again. "I wish you both good luck in your battle with Harley and Misty, but from what I can tell, your victory seems unlikely at best." He once again walked off, this time leaving the group entirely.

Ash thought inwardly. _Is that true? I have been training May since she started. Can I help that my battling style is what she picked up? I'm a trainer, not a coordinator. Is it really, then, my fault for being a trainer, that May lost the Kanto Grand Festival? Because I spent so much time trying to prepare her, only to prepare her improperly? Have I been the one misleading May, all this time, without knowing?_ Ash's eyes began to swell with tears, but he forced them back. _I can't believe it. I'm so stupid. It's all my fault. If I had known better… If May was with a coordinator… if she was with Drew, then maybe… just maybe she wouldn't have lost…_

_That's true,_ May thought,_ I have been hanging on Ash's word when it comes to training. I even battle like him. Was that really my downfall when I battled Saori in the Grand Festival?_ She saw Ash stand up and run into the forest. She thought she could see something shimmering slide down one of his cheeks. _Oh, no. Ash blames himself for this. The poor guy's taking this realization pretty hard. I better go talk to him. _"We better go talk to him," she said to Cyndi and a depressed looking Pikachu. They nodded in agreement and chased the boy into the woods.

Ash stood next to a tree, punching it harshly, crying. _I'm such a loser. I failed May. I failed her. I failed my pupil. I failed my friend. I failed the girl who looked up to me, learning from me. I failed her father. I told him that I would take care of her and make her into a great trainer. Some promise that turned out to be. I completely screwed her up. Because of me, she might never reach her dream of being a top coordinator. I've only been slowing her down. I'm a reject, just like Gary knew I was back then._

"Ash?" a sweet voice called to him. The boy looked up, his eyes red from the tears to see her in that green bandana he bought her. That smiling face belonging to that sweet, innocent girl. The girl he loved. The girl he failed.

"What do you want?" Ash choked out, sounding more forceful than he meant to.

"We came to see what was wrong with you…" she walked up to him from behind. Pikachu walked up and placed his hand on Ash's leg.

"What's wrong with me is that I've been teaching you how to be a trainer, instead of a coordinator," he cried. "What's wrong is that you've adopted a battle style not meant for Contests because of me training you, and I've caused you to lose." Closed his eyes and shouted at them. "What's wrong with me is that I've caused you so much harm, caused you to lose an opportunity to become a great coordinator, all without knowing it, because I'm so stupid!" He fell backwards and sat leaning up against the tree, crying. Pikachu leapt into his lap, trying to comfort the depressed young man.

May looked at the boy solemnly. _He certainly had a lot of pride in my successes. He has been there for me even in the beginning, so I guess it's natural that he felt proud of me when I got so far in my contests. He was glad to know that he had made a positive difference, and could see it at work in my life. Now that's been stripped of him, replaced with the knowledge that his help has become my downfall._

"Ash, get up!" Cyndi had begun to burst into tears. "You don't cry! You're too tough for that!" Obviously, Cyndi seeing her hero crumpled over in a heap, crying had upset her. "Get up! Show me that fighter's spirit that I see when you battle!" Her eyes filled with tears, and she collapsed against his leg. "Get up," she cried, gently hitting him in the leg. She had finally given in to the crying and just began to weep.

May knew what she had to do. "Pikachu," she told him, "lead Cyndi back to her house, and take Corphish and Squirtle's Pokéballs with you. They'll need the rest." Pikachu stood up and looked May in the eyes. His eyes were also tearing up, but he saw in May an inner strength he had originally thought only his trainer had. Her eyes watered, but she didn't cry. Not this time. Pikachu nodded and grabbed Corphish's Pokéball from Ash's belt. May placed Squirtle's in Cyndi's hand and Pikachu led her out of the forest.

May sat down next to the boy, and began to rub his back with one of her hands, trying to soothe the distraught trainer. "I'm sorry May," Ash whimpered. "I'm sorry I failed you."

May smiled at him. "I don't think you failed me, Ash," she said to him, "as a matter of fact, I'm glad you have been there to guide me. Not that long ago, I was a new trainer. I needed help from an experienced trainer like you. I didn't even really like Pokémon, what with Dad's Gym Battles keeping him away all the time. But you showed me a different side. The bond between you and Pikachu showed me that Pokémon aren't bad. It's what you make of them. Your love for Pikachu is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. You'd do anything for your friends, not just Pikachu, or me. You might not be able to put it into words, but I'm sure you love all of us. Max, Brock, me, all of the Pokémon, all of us. You are the best friend any of us could have ever wished for. And I-"

"Ash, you have to believe in yourself," a familiar voice came from behind them.

"You're not gonna give up, are you Ash?" a younger voice spoke up. Both Ash and May looked up to see their friends standing above them.

"Brock! Max!" May shouted, smiling. She took her brother into her arms and clutched him tightly. "I've missed you so much, Max." She smelled her brother's hair, and immediately pushed him back. "Phew, Max, have you taken a bath since we got separated?"

"Hey!" Max argued, "I wanted to save time so we could get here sooner. I used the PokéNav to find some shortcuts, and we saved time by cutting other stuff out of the schedule."

"Don't worry," Brock reassured them, "I've been bathing. I just did it when Max was eating. I've been eating on the go." The older trainer turned to Ash. "We heard what May said about you, Ash. And I agree. I've never met someone like you, and from what I can tell from our travels, there is no one else like you. You're an inspiration to everyone you meet, the way you care for your friends and Pokémon. You've helped May in ways that no one else could ever teach her. You've taught her that winning isn't what is most important, it's the respect you have for your opponents and your Pokémon. It truly is about love."

"Thank you, May," Ash said, looking up to them, "Thank you, Brock. I needed that." He rubbed his eyes dry and stood up.

"But what was wrong, Ash?" Max asked him. "We didn't hear what happened in the first place."

"Drew got him upset," May told them before Ash could talk. "He said that I battle too much like Ash to win in contests, and he blames himself for my loss at the Grand Festival." She turned to Ash. "But it's okay that I lost. It shows that I have room for improvement. We'll just have to try harder next time, right?" she smiled at him.

Ash's confidence was being built back up. "Yeah, you're right," he nodded. "Let's go check up on Squirtle and Corphish." May nodded and the two trainers turned and began to walk away.

"Hold on a second!" Brock grabbed both of them by the shoulder. "What happened to Squirtle and Corphish?"

"They're alright," May laughed, "just a little battle weary."

"Are they at the Pokémon Center?" Max asked them. Ash and May remembered the smear campaign Harley was running in Cerulean.

"Umm, why not come with us?" Ash smiled uneasily. May also placed a counterfeit smile on her face.

"Alright, what's up?" Brock asked the suspicious pair.

"We'll explain on the way," Ash sighed.

The quartet sat in the living room portion of Cyndi's house. Brock thanked Raine for the tea and sipped on it, thinking.

"So Misty's gonna battle you both in a Contest?" Brock asked them, trying to wrap his mind around the story.

"Yeah," Ash explained, "Harley put her up to it. She thinks May's been doing bad stuff to me, and wouldn't give us a chance to explain our story. We've got no choice but to try to reach her during the battle."

"Yeah," Max interrupted, "but remember what Drew told you. You're going to have to change your fighting style if you wanna win."

Brock nodded. "I bet Harley's training Misty right now," he told them. "Granted, Harley's not the greatest teacher, but Misty could easily adapt those strategies to her battle style, an become a force to be reckoned with."

"But who's gonna help us, Brock?" May asked. "Drew thinks that we're a lost cause, and we don't know of any other coordinators nearby."

"That's not true," Raine interrupted. "I used to be a Pokémon Coordinator before I got married. I don't have any Pokémon anymore, though, so I could only offer advice, not help you practice battle."

"What happened to your Pokémon?" May asked.

"It was a long time ago…" Raine reminisced. "I was on my way to Cerulean after competing in a Pokémon Contest when I saw a younger boy trying his hardest to capture a Pokémon."

_The red-haired boy cried at the side of the road, an empty Pokéball sitting in front of him._

"_What's wrong?" a much younger Raine asked him. Her hair was flowing down to the middle of her back, and she didn't wear glasses. She still wore a rather plan looking dress, however._

"_I can't get a Pokémon to become my partner," the boy sniffed. "My cousin said that I wouldn't amount to anything, and I need to catch a Pokémon to prove her wrong."_

"_What's your name?" Raine asked the younger boy._

_He stood up and looked at her, his blue eyes filled with tears. "My name's Joe and I'm working to become a Pokémon doctor."_

"_My name's Raine," the young woman responded, "and I've been trying to become a coordinator. Here's my partner." She pulled a Pokéball from her waist and opened it. A young Steel-and-Flying type Pokémon appeared._

"_Skyaa!" Raine's Skarmory called._

"_Oh, cool! With Skarmoy and your help, I'm sure to get a Pokémon!" the boy cheered._

"But regardless of how many times we tried, we still couldn't catch a single Pokémon. I took a closer look at his Pokéball, and found the problem."

"_Here it is!" Raine pointed out, "There's a missing panel in here. The Pokémon can't be properly contained, so the ball just lets 'em out."_

_Joe started to cry again. "I knew my cousin would try to sabotage me like this! Now I'll never get a Pokémon."_

"_Calm down," Raine patted him on the back. "We'll go together, and we'll both use my Skarmory, okay?"_

"_Really?" the boy sniffed, looking up into her grey eyes._

"So we traveled to the Pokémon Doctor's school, and I stayed in that town with him while he took the classes and everything. I started to fall in love with him. He used Skarmory in the school when the entire majority of the other entrants used Chansey. He trained Skarmory to be gentler with her talons, and even she started to share his dream of becoming a Pokémon doctor. Before I knew it, four years had passed in that town, and graduation day was soon approaching.

"_Raine," an older Joe stood before an older Raine. He had grown to be quite tall and handsome. His blue eyes looked sharply into her grey eys. She felt captivated at that moment. "I want to thank you so much for everything you've done." He handed held out a gold pocket watch to her. "I want you to have this," he told her. He also pulled out Skarmory's Pokéball. "You can also take Skarmory with you. She's been a great help."_

"_Why?" a surprised Raine asked him. She felt sadness in her heart. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"_

_He closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, but I've been delaying you here for four years. The school will give me a Pokémon to use in a Center as soon as I find an assignment. I wanted to repay you for your kindness by giving you my grandfather's pocket watch."_

"_You keep it," she said, blushing and pushing his hand back. "I haven't minded staying here all this time. You've done an excellent job taking care of Skarmory. And besides," she started to blush, "I think I love you." She looked up at him to see him blushing. "Oh, no. Now I've gone and ruined our friendship!" she worried, shaking her head back and forth._

_She felt the strong arms of Doctor Joseph around her. "It's alright. I love you, too." Raine wrapped her arms around him, and they embraced there together. _

"_Isn't that sweet?" a teenage Nurse Joy wearing a tank top and tight denim shorts walked up to the couple. _

"_Who's that?" Raine looked up and asked._

_Joseph sighed and turned to face Joy. "That's my cousin."_

"_I can't believe you're going to try to run a Pokémon Center with a Skarmory!" Joy snorted._

"_Skarmory and I will become the greatest Pokémon Center running team in the world! You'll see!" he proclaimed._

_Joy laughed and walked off, while Raine placed her hands on Joseph's shoulders and massaged them. "It's alright. I know you're the better person." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek._

"In a few years, we were married, and a few after that, Cyndi was born," Raine continued. "With young Cyndi in our care, we had to make a decision. One that carried quite a bit of weight, since my grandmother had passed away shortly after Cyndi was born. I decided that I would take over her clothing store, while he and Skarmory lived in the Center. Cyndi needed to be close enough to a city to go to school, and the closest was Cerulean. Everything just worked into place. God works like that sometimes."

"Cyndi!" Ash jumped up. "She still has our Pokémon! Where did she go?"

"She came and told me that you two would be a bit late, but she was going to see her Aunt Joy at the Pokémon Center," Raine told them.

The reality of the situation had struck. "Oh, no," she gasped.

* * *

**The borrowed idea, incase you didn't know, is the fact that May battles too much like Ash. They'll both have to fix that if they're gonna beat Misty and Harley.**

**How many of you thought that Cyndi was Joseph's daughter? How many of you remember who Joseph is? You didn't think I was gonna introduce a new character without expanding on their life, did you?**

**I'd also like to take this moment to thank all of the reviewers who've been keeping up with this story. It makes it a lot easier to write when you know that people believe in you. You guys are the best.**

**And I ended on a cliffhanger, again. What's Joy gonna do to Cyndi? Are Corphish, Squirtle, and Pikachu in danger? I guess you'll all have to wait to see. **

**Please keep sending your reviews/questions/comments to me, okay? Thanks.**

**Finally, I also noted that May cries a lot in this story. I guess she's just feeling emotional or something. I dunno. See you all next time!**


	18. Cops

**Today we get further into the head of the Cerulean Joy, starting with a flashback from her. How will this scene play out? **

**My first chapter fully typed at college! Yay! Go me! Enjoy, folks!**

* * *

"_I can't believe that punk passed!" An infuriated teenage Joy pouted. "With a higher grade than me, even! A man does just does not fit as a Pokémon Nurse! Who does he think he is?" she complained to another, more conservatory dressed Joy walking beside her._

"_Well, you know that a lot of stereotypes are being brought down," the calmer Joy told her, "We might see a lot more male nurses using a wider array of Pokémon."_

"_I can't stand the fact that he's made it, though. He's such a sissy, but now he's upstaged me!" the rouge Joy whined. "He's made a mockery of me! My own younger cousin is undermining my authority!"_

"_Don't you think you're blowing this thing out of proportion?" the calm Joy asked._

"_What do you know?" the rouge Joy spat. "You're probably gonna take his side, anyway!" She then turned and marched out the door, heading for her first assignment._

A few years passed, and she got an invitation to a wedding. She read the names and tossed it aside. She later got pictures, which she also threw away, and was asked by her sisters why she couldn't make it.

"_Work related," she lied._

It was a couple years down the road before she heard of them again.

"_Great news!" her older sister had come up on the screen. "Joseph's a father now. He's got a beautiful baby girl." The Joy in the hospital moved the camera to see a very small, dark blue haired baby girl, sleeping quietly in her mother's arms. Many other Nurse Joys had gathered around, smiling and telling the mother how cute her baby was. The watching Joy's male cousin had fainted on the floor, his Skarmory tapping him on the head with her beak._

"_Yeah," said the Joy watching the event, "real great news."_

_The Joy inside the monitor turned to her. "I'm sorry you're in the Orange Islands right now. I'm sure you'd like to be here in person."_

"_I wouldn't miss it for the world," said the Joy outside the monitor. She hit the Emergency Siren with her foot, causing a loud noise to reverberate through her center. "Oh, looks like there's an emergency. Talk to ya later, sis." She hung the phone up and disabled the alarm. _I'll get my revenge,_ she thought. _I'll get it someday.

Many more years have passed, and that same Joy has found herself working in the Cerulean Pokémon Center, a mere two or three days travel from her estranged cousin. But she made no effort on her part to see her cousin or the in-law. She did, however, manage to meet her niece when she visited the Pokémon Center. She earned the young girl's trust and even broadened her vocabulary. She took little interest in the girl and her idol. Some wandering trainer named 'Ash' or something.

That was until Misty's sisters had began distributing posters of an upcoming battle. She recognized the name from some of the e-mails the young girl had sneaked to her, knowing full well that her mother would disapprove of the Pokémon Nurse, citing her as a bad influence. She clicked over to the registration of Pokémon who had come through the center recently. Sure enough, two trainers, named Ash and May, had their Pokémon healed here not too long ago. She saw that May had 4 Pokémon and Ash had 5. But she faintly remembered a sixth Pokémon with them. _Donphan, Sceptile, Swellow, Aipom, Corphish…_ she thought to herself. _Who was that last one… They took it with them, and didn't register it with the center…_

"Auntie Joy!" she looked up with a smile on her face as the young girl ran to the counter. "Auntie Joy!" he repeated. A small, yellow Pokémon chased behind her.

"What is it, suger?" Joy asked Cyndi as the girl caught her breath.

"Can… can… you heal these Pokémon for me?" She placed two Pokéballs on the table, panting from running so hard.

She took them from her and placed them in the registration machine. Corphish and Squirtle's Bios appeared on the screen. Joy smiled a vile smiled. Her chance to strike had come.

"Tell me, Cyndi, where did you get these Pokémon?" Joy asked her slyly.

"Oh!" Cyndi leapt up. "I never told you. Ash is staying with us at the house! These Pokémon belong to him and his friend, May."

"Ash is staying with you, you say?" Cyndi restated while the gears turned in her head.

"Pipi!" Pikachu had caught up to the counter. He hopped from Cyndi's head to the countertop.

"This is Ash's Pikachu!" Cyndi gleefully cheered. "You know, the one I told you about. Isn't he cute?"

"My goodness, yes, he certainly is cute," Joy falsely agreed. She picked up the electric type and placed him on the counter. As she began manual registration of the Pokéball-less Pikachu, she slid her foot to the silent alarm and tripped it.

"Okay, Pikachu," she hid her motives behind a mask of cheerfulness, "I guess I can heal you, too." She placed Pikachu on a tray with the Pokéballs of Squirtle and Corphish.

"Cyndi!" the Pokémon nurse heard coming from the door. Five people had just barged into the Center. A young boy in a cap, a girl about his height with a green bandana, a really little kid, and an older boy stood in front of her cousin's wife.

"Ash! You're here!" Cyndi ran up to him. "Aren't you proud? I brought your Pokémon to the center for you!"

_That's Ash?_ Joy thought. _That punk who's friends with Joe and wouldn't listen to me? This Pikachu is his sixth Pokémon? Well, just let them wait until Jenny arrives._

"Thank you Cyndi, but next time, wait for the rest of us, okay?" Ash said to her, smiling at the young child.

Cyndi smiled and looked at the small boy next to Ash. She and Max pointed at each other. "Who are you?" they asked simultaneously.

"Oh yeah," Ash began to introduce them. "Max, this is Cyndi, Raine's daughter. We've been staying with them. Cyndi, this is Max. He's May's little brother and has been traveling with us for a while."

"Oh wow!" She smiled at Max. "You get to travel with Ash?" she giggled as she hopped up and down. "You've gotta tell me about what it's like to travel with him!"

"Huh?" Max was confused. "What do you mean? Ash is a pretty regular guy."

"You've never seen her room, huh?" May giggled. Ash looked at May wondering what she meant by that.

"Freeze! Everyone to the floor!" A woman police officer leapt into the Center, her gun in the air.

Brock leapt up to her. "Officer Jenny!" Love filled his eyes, and he came down on one knee in front of her. "I'd let you walk all over me any day!"

"I said everyone to the floor!" Jenny shoved him down with her foot.

All of the trainers in the center covered their heads as they ducked to the floor. Jenny stepped over them to the counter. "What seems to be the problem, Joy?" she asked, lowering her gun.

"These Pokémon were stolen by that little punk!" she declared pointing at Cyndi.

"Which Pokémon?" the officer asked.

"A Squirtle, a Corphish and a Pikachu. She brought them here, thinking I'd heal them, but what that criminal didn't think was that I would check where these Pokémon came from." Joy looked down her nose at Cyndi. "Especially from such a little girl." She leaned over and picked up the tray hold Pikachu and the two Pokéballs.

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon leapt up, running over to one of the trainers who were lying on the floor.

Jenny turned to the group. "Does that Pikachu belong to you?" she asked May.

May stood up and held Pikachu in her arms. "No, he belongs to my friend Ash," she explained. Ash looked up at the officer, who nodded, signifying that it was okay for Ash to stand up. The boy stood up, and Pikachu leapt to him. "I asked Cyndi to look after our Pokémon for us. We just came here to catch up with her. She hasn't done anything wrong," May continued.

Jenny wrote down the account into her notepad. She looked over at the small girl who by this time had hidden her head inside Max's green shirt. "Pull your head out of there, young lady. That's not appropriate for someone your age." the officer warned her. Blushing bright red, Cyndi took her head out from inside Max's shirt and stood up. The small boy also came to his feet after having Cyndi invade the back of his shirt. "You're Cyndi, right?"

The girl nodded, embarrassed and tearful.

"Do you want to press charges?" Jenny turned to Ash and May, who where helping Brock and Raine up respectively.

"Of course not!" Ash shouted. "Her family's been really good to us. All that happened was a little misunderstanding!"

Jenny flipped her notepad closed. "Well, then my work here is done. I'll file the report, but nothing should come on anyone's criminal record."

"But why, Auntie Joy?" Cyndi walked up to the counter. "Why did you think I was stealing those Pokémon? I told you who gave them to me."

"Because your father's pissed me off ever since we were little!" Joy shouted. "Ever since he was little, he's always playing with his sister's dolls, talking about how he wanted to be a Pokémon Nurse, when he should have been doing boy things!" She turned to Raine, whom Brock helped stand after Jenny had taken her notes. "He never got a chance to toughen up because of that broad right there! Your mother continued to baby him, and then he got into the Nurse's school. He never even caught his own Pokémon, for crying out loud. That Skarmory was your mother's only Pokémon, and she practically gave it to him!" Her gazed turned back to Cyndi. "But that wasn't all. He graduated at the top of the class, that year. Even beating me. And not even that was good enough. He got married to that bitch and had you. You've been a reminder of your father to me ever since I met you. I could see his spirit in you, and I wanted to crush it ever since I met you." She clenched her fists and shook them at the shocked girl. "And when I finally get the chance to put in your place, your hero has to come to the rescue! You all make me sick!"

Joy's tirade was brought to a halt when Raine, out of nowhere, had punched Joy square in the face, sending the nurse tumbling behind the counter. Blood from Joy's nose remained on Raine's hand and on the desk. The Pokémon Nurse held her nose to try to slow the flow. "Did you see her assult me?" she whined to Jenny. She bled on her white apron, staining the delicate material.

Jenny looked at Joy scornfully. "I'm turning the other way on this one. If she hadn't done it, I'd sure have."

"Give me your badge number!" Joy screeched, "I'll get you off the force!"

"I've got many eye witness accounts of you badmouthing a little girl," Jenny looked down her nose at the raging nurse, flipping her notebook closed again after jotting down notes from Joy's outburst. "Enough to put your character into question. If you push this, you might end up the one out of a job. Cerulean's known for its police force, not just because of our skill, but because we uphold justice for all. And I'd say justice has been served today."

Joy looked back at Raine, the former coordinator's eyes glazed over with rage. She picked Joy up by the collar, lifting her off the ground. "If you ever say anything of that nature around my daughter again," Raine threatened, "more than your nose will be broken."

"I'll ignore the terroristic threatening, but you're gonna have to set her down." The mother complied, dropping Joy back behind the counter. Chansey had come out of the back room smiling, holding bandages. Chansey began to carefully wrap Joy's wound. The Pokémon joyfully wrapped her partner's bloody nose, and then grabbed Ash and May's Pokéballs and handed them to their respective trainers. They smiled and thanked the Egg Pokémon for her assistance.

"Chansey's a much better nurse than that Joy'll ever be," May whispered to Ash, causing him to chuckle.

"But why did Pikachu run over to you?" Ash whispered back, still thinking about that instand

"Maybe he likes me more?" May winked at Ash, giggling.

"Way to play favorites, buddy," Ash sarcastically told Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon sighed, not even attempting to explain.

Cyndi sat on the ground, her legs spread far apart. She was stunned at her aunt's words._ How could she treat her family this way?_ the distressed girl pondered, the thought echoing through her head.

"Need a hand?" a voice asked her. She looked up to see Max smiling at her from behind his glasses. She slowly nodded, and took his hand. Max pulled her to her feet. Cyndi began to dust herself off. "Are you alright?" Max asked her.

Cyndi felt her face heat up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just startled, is all."

"You'll be fine," Max assured her, a smile on his face. "People can say some pretty mean stuff, but you can't let it get to you. Ash taught me that." He smiled and began to crack jokes to ease the tension. "Just please don't stick your head up my shirt again. I'm not a very good hiding place."

Cyndi felt herself smile as the rest of the group called the two youngsters over. "Can you tell me more about you're travels with Ash?" she asked him.

The group left the Pokémon Center to find a mob outside, waiting for Ash and May. The group began to blind the trainers with their flashing camera lights, but a quick Thunder Wave from Pikachu shorted out their cameras, forcing them to leave with no footage. The party of six began walking down the road. When they got to the fork that would lead out of the city or to the Gym, Brock opted for the Gym. "I wanna try and talk to Misty," he said. "She's my friend, and I hope she'll listen to what I say." Ash wished him good luck, and told him that they would be at Cyndi's house later in the evening.

"Hey, wait," May remembered, "you said you could help us with our training?" She turned to Raine, who had since returned to her calmer self.

"Yes," she said, removing her glasses and wiping them off. "But Joseph's got our Skarmory right now. So I could only offer advice. I couldn't battle."

"Hey, wait," Ash recalled, "someone in this town owes us!" He turned to May. "Remember?" he asked. The idea clicked in the girl's head as well.

"We're going to the ice cream parlor!" May smiled. "I can get a hot fudge sundae!"

"Wait, what about ice cream?" Max asked. "Who owes you?"

May grabbed Max by the arm and began to run down the street, with Ash, Raine and Cyndi following.

May and her brother waited in front of the now familiar ice cream parlor for the rest of the group. After the rest of them had caught up, the group went inside.

"Hey, isn't that-" the youngest boy said before his sister and her friend covered his mouth.

"No, now shush!" Ash and May said, each placing a hand on Max's mouth. May caught that she was holding Ash's hand and shot a wry smile up to his auburn eyes before letting go. Ash blushed slightly and released Max's mouth. The boy silently witnessed the scene between the two, but said nothing right now.

May proceded up to the counter and looked at the menu. "What do I want this time?" she pondered to herself. She almost giggled with anticipation.

"May, we're here to ask for help, not to eat," Ash reminded her. "I don't think we'll be getting anything."

May put her puppy dog eyes on. "Please, Ash," the girl cutely begged him, leaning on his shoulder, "can we stay and get some ice cream? Only a little…"

Ash's resolve against May had dissolved. "Alright," he gave in, "we'll get some ice cream."

May nuzzled her head against Ash's shoulder and giggled. "Thank you, Ash," she told him, walking back up to the counter to order something from the blue-haired man working the register.

"You two make a cute couple," Raine whispered to Ash.

Ash felt his face turn redder than May had made it with her antics. "Do you really think?" he whispered back.

Cyndi and Max pushed passed the two and ordered something from the blue-haired man. Max shot a knowing gaze at familar face, but the worker smiled it off, silently thanking Ash and May.

"It's obvious she's interested in you. Are you afraid?" Raine continued.

"It's not that," the trainer whispered back, "there's this other guy…"

"That Drew from earlier today, is he the one?" Raine asked him.

"Geez, you make it sound as obvious as when Brock does something," Ash pulled his hat down over his eyes, embarrassed

"I'm just good at reading people in love," she smiled. "The only advice I can give you is to try your hardest and be yourself, Ash. Don't ever try to be anyone else."

Ash smiled, the thought of him dressed as Drew making him laugh inside in his mind. "Thanks, Raine. Now we need to get some ice cream and go sit with the others."

"Oh, and by the way," she told Ash while scanning the menu, "I think the reason Pikachu went over to May was to protect her. Pokémon often take on the characteristics and behavior of their trainers. Pikachu was just doing what he knew you'd want him to do."

"Really?" Ash looked at the small Pokémon sitting on his shoulder.

Pikachu nodded and laughed, motioning toward an ice cream sandwich that he wanted as a reward.

* * *

**How was that? In the next installment, Brock visits Cerulean Gym. What can he uncover about the motives behind the coming battle? Just wait until next time to find out!**

**Until then, everyone, get Pokémon!**


	19. Channel

**Here's the next chapter. I hope you all have been having as much fun as I've had in the past couple of days. I'll let you all have the chapter before I let myself become long winded.**

* * *

Brock stepped into the Cerulean Gym and heard a battle raging. He quietly walked into the pool and saw only that Misty was the only human in the Gym. Her Gyarados and Politoed battled each other, each trading attacks.

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" Misty called out, "Politoed, Water Gun!"

As each of the Pokémon launched their attacks at each other, Brock walked up behind the Gym Leader who stood at the side of the pool.

"Hey," was all that Brock said when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Misty jumped and turned to see her old friend. "Oh, Brock," Misty was overjoyed, "I'm so glad to see you."

"It's nice to see you, too, Misty. How about two Kanto Gym Leaders catch up with each other?" Brock calmly suggested.

"I would," Misty shot his a mischievous glance before returning to watching the battle, "but isn't your little brother Forrest the Gym Leader in Pewter, now?"

"Well, how about for a friend, then?" Brock smiled.

"Anytime," Misty smiled back. She told Gyarados and Politoed that the battle was over, and the two Water-Types ended their battle and began to swim quietly.

Misty led Brock to a small, teal room. Brock took a moment to absorb the teal green on the walls. Sitting on the carpet, in the middle, was a coffee table. On which stood a framed picture. "Do you remember this, Brock?" Misty asked him.

He sure did. The picture showed Ash, Misty, and Brock standing outside Ash's house. The sun had just risen that day, tinting the image orange. Brock and Misty both had one hand on Ash's shoulder, and smiled at the camera as Delia had taken the picture. It seemed like such a long time ago, right before they left for the Johto Region.

"Now how did you get here so early, Brock?" Misty asked, "Ash said that you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"Well, this time we took a shortcut that worked," Brock joked with his former traveling companion. "And I actually wanted to talk to you about Ash."

"You've seen the posters?" Misty asked.

"How can I not have?" Brock tossed a folded up copy on to the table in front of her friend. "What's the deal, Misty?"

"I heard from a reliable source that May has been doing bad things to Ash," Misty told him, hoping to win him over to the story she believed.

Brock had already been told the story by Ash and May, but he decided that he would let Misty talk. "Oh? Like what?"

"His shoulders are cut up pretty bad," Misty said, sadness in her voice, "and they used to be so strong. I can't even imagine what she's probably doing to him right now…"

_Ah, the Swellow thing_, Brock thought. "Can you tell me this reliable source?" Brock asked her. He knew he had to show Harley's true colors if he wanted Misty to believe him.

"It was May's first boyfriend, and he told me all of the things May used to do to him," Misty explained. "I could tell that I shouldn't have trusted her. She's been playing you and May's brother for fools."

Brock was still silently snickering at the thought of May and Harley as a couple. "What do you mean, playing us for fools?"

"She always appears like she's not doing anything wrong, but when you two are busy with something, she's always beating him and belittling him, ever since you all came back to Kanto. She even attacks him with her Pokémon!" Misty told the story to Brock.

"Max is one of the most observant people I know," Brock told her, "he'd know if something was up. And what proof do you have that May attacked Ash with her Pokémon?"

"My source had a picture."

"Can I meet him?"

"Sure." Misty stood and walked to the door. She reached her head out and called for Harley. The green-clad coordinator stepped into the room.

"You're here! Harley's very surprised." Harley said, eyeing Brock.

"It's nice to see you again, too, Harley," Brock smiled, mocking him.

"Huh?" Misty was confused. "You two have met?"

"Harley's a Pokémon Coordinator from Hoenn. He's lost to May four times and beaten her once. He's got a grudge against her." Brock explained.

"And?" Harley asked. "That's something anyone with enough time can find out on the internet."

"I already know Harley, Brock" Misty told him. "Why are you telling me about him?"

"Harley would do anything to get back at May for humiliating him in the contest battles," Brock told her.

"That's a lie!" Harley shouted. "I want to bring her to justice!"

Brock turned to Misty. "Having Ash and May tell all of the secret details of their relationship is a pretty bizarre form of justice."

"How did you know about that? That's not on the posters…" Misty was puzzled.

Harley knew he needed to act fast. "He's trying to confuse you. He's probably doing this for Ash and May. He wants to protect their dirty secret. He's just worried about how all the girls will react to knowing he's been hanging out with some psycho."

Brock ignored Harley's allegations. "Why did you choose that way to punish them for losing?" he asked Misty.

"When May tells everyone about the horrible things she's done, it'll put her face with abuse," Misty explained. "No one else can be her victim for as long as she lives."

"What if I can prove that Ash's shoulder injury was caused by someone else?" Brock asked her.

"Who else could have?" Misty asked.

"Well, for one, I could have, and reasonably Max, too," he explained.

"Y-you wouldn't have hurt Ash, would you?" Misty asked, almost terrified of the answer.

"Of course not!" Brock shot down her concerns. "I'd never hurt Ash, and neither would May or Max."

"I don't know May as well as you do, Brock," Misty looked back at the picture of her with her friends. "I'm not sure I can trust her."

"Then trust me, Misty," Brock looked into her cerulean eyes. "I've been with May and Max for almost as long as Ash has been. They wouldn't knowingly harm each other."

"He's trying to deceive you!" Harley declared. "I bet he's already talked to Ash and May about it, and they fed him a story about how you're the bad one, Misty."

"Is it true?" Misty looked into Brock's eyes.

"I did already speak with Ash and May," Brock confirmed their suspicion, dropping his arms back to his side. "They told me their side of the story. Now I want to hear yours."

"I told you," Misty became defensive, "I don't trust May. I haven't known her long enough to know what she'd do to my friends.

Brock stood up. "Oh, come off it, Misty!" he shouted. "You know as well as I do that you've trusted lots of different people that you've never met before as we went on our journeys together. And even if your personal experience with May is what makes you not trust her, then my saying that she can be trusted is usually enough. What makes May so different that you can't trust her?"

"It's just…" Misty felt her face begin to turn red.

"You're jealous of her, aren't you?" Brock asked calmly.

"What?" Misty jumped up. "Me, jealous of May?"

"You're jealous that you weren't around when Ash started to become interested in girls, and now you want to ruin May so she can't stay with him. Is that it?" Brock asked the Gym leader.

"Maybe I am jealous!" Misty snorted. "I followed him around Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, pining for him, and he never returned anything!" Misty began to break down into tears. "It's just so frustrating. I mean, I should be happy for him, but I just can't be."

"It's okay, Misty," Brock comforted her. He took her hand in his and rubbed the back of it. "I'm sure you'll feel better about this later, after we sit down and talk to Ash and May."

"Misty, are you going to let him manipulate you into calling off the battle?" Harley whispered into her ear. "Are you gonna let May get away and continue to hurt Ash?"

"No I won't!" Misty yanked her hand away from Brock. "May will be brought to justice! She won't be able to hurt Ash or anyone else ever again!"

"So you really are taking Harley's word above mine?" Brock asked her. "Do you think that getting May out of the picture would make Ash come back to you?"

"M-maybe…" Misty was at a loss for words.

"I can't believe you, Misty!" Brock spoke roughly. "Are you really going to drag the name of the Cerulean Gym in the mud, just so you can have your choice in a guy?"

"Get out," Misty spoke meekly.

"That's just petty." Brock finished, disdain in his voice.

"Get out!" Misty roared. "I'll have no one speak badly about my Gym, especially someone who can't even keep their Gym with a single type! If you want to side with May, then fine! I am jealous! I don't care anymore! If I can't have Ash…" she quieted down and spoke under her breath, "…then maybe no one should…"

Brock turned to the door. He opened it and turned back to Misty. "I guarantee you, after all of this is over, even with the smear campaign, and regardless of how the battle goes, if Ash and May want to be together, they will be. And they will both still want to be your friend, regardless of the mean things you may do right now. They'll forgive you, even of this. That's the kind of people Ash and May are." With that, he left the room, with a perplexed Misty flopping back on the couch, crying into the picture she held of her friends. Harley stood over her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"C'mon, hon," Harley talked with his friend, "let's go do something to cheer you up."

Ash sat quietly eating his ice cream bar. He sat beside May in the large booth. Beside the coordinator was her brother, who sat next to Raine, with her daughter sitting across form Ash. Pikachu sat on the table, eating the ice cream sandwich that he had earned. The Pokémon seemed content. Ash thought about the current situation. He had never had his friends turn against him before. Part of him felt like it would be tough to get Misty to see things his way. Misty was one of his best friends. He knew he couldn't let her stay angry at him forever.

He paused his thinking. _Misty's not mad at me_, he thought, _she's mad at May_. He looked over at the coordinator sitting next to him. She was licking her bowl clean, trying to get the last bit of fudge from her sundae. Ash smiled at her and chuckled. May noticed and looked at him, a dap of fudge on her nose. She smiled, and scribbled something on a piece of paper, then slid it to the waiting waiter. May smiled at Pikachu, who was enjoying his reward, and returned to cleaning the bowl with her tongue. _May's such a nice person_, Ash thought to himself. _Why would Misty believe Harley over May? Just because Harley's feeding her jealousy, I bet._ He felt a tug at his sleeve. Pikachu wanted to know what was on his trainer's mind. Ash ate the rest of the ice cream off of the stick, and placed it flat on the table. He looked at Pikachu's eyes. _You know, don't you, buddy?_ he silently asked his Pokémon. Pikachu nodded, and nuzzled against Ash's arm, trying to cheer him up.

"Is something up, Ash?" May asked him, still not having realized that she had a dab of fudge on her nose.

Ash looked up and broke out laughing. This confused Pikachu further and made May self conscious.

"What is it?" May asked, worried. "There's something on my face, isn't there?"

"There's a drop of fudge right on the tip of your nose," Ash chuckled, cheering up from his deep thoughts.

"Well, since you noticed it, you can be the one to get it off my face!" May taunted the trainer.

"I bet Ash's gonna kiss May's nose!" Cyndi whispered to Max. Max snickered, but was also awaiting the outcome of this situation between his friend and his sister.

"I...uh…" Ash stuttered, not sure how to get the fudge of May's face.

"C'mon!" Cyndi called from across the table. "Just lick it off!"

Ash turned red as the other patrons in the restaurant began to stare. He prayed silently for any way out of the situation.

Thankfully, his most loyal partner had just the solution.

Pikachu leapt onto May's face and began to lick the fudge off of the end of her nose.

May's reaction was one of surprise. She let out a shriek, then followed it up with "Ash, get your crazy Pokémon off of me!"

Ash's reaction, however, was one more of anger over Pikachu's disobedience. The trainer pulled Pikachu off of May's face, and held him up in the air in front of his face, so that only the Pokémon could see his expression. "Pikachu, why'd you do something crazy like that?" Ash said angrily. As Pikachu saw on his face, Ash was smiling and happy that the Electric-Type had pulled him out of such a questionable situation.

May yanked Pikachu out of Ash's hands. "You've been a bad boy, Pikachu!" she chastised him. Pikachu put an embarrassed look on his face. She put the Pokémon's sensitive ear close to her mouth. "I was trying to get Ash to do something," she whispered as quietly as she could, "and you had to interrupt." She knew Pikachu could hear her. The mouse Pokémon looked at her, confused. May looked at him in the eyes. _I know you saw Drew kiss me_, she thought as loudly as she could, not sure if Pikachu could read her thoughts. _I wanted to give Ash the chance to get as close as Drew did._

Pikachu nodded, understanding the unsaid message the coordinator sent him. "Pika, pika Pikachu pika pi pika Pikapi, Pi Pikachu pikapi pika," he said. May understood, somehow, that there would be no further interruption from him. But she wasn't sure how she understood.

"A-hem," the waiter drew attention to himself. The group, realizing that most of them were standing, sat down and faced the Pokémon that had addressed them.

"I'm glad youse guys are having a good time," Meowth smiled, looking at Pikachu, something hidden in his eyes.

"We are, thanks a lot," Ash said to Meowth, missing anything not verbally said between the rival Pokémon.

"And here's the bill," Meowth announced, placing the bill and a small, folded sheet of paper on the table in front of Ash. Ash pulled out his wallet and tipped the Pokémon. He silently passes the folded paper to May, who opened it and read it. Ash and his friends had been communicating with Team Rocket using this method of passing paper around while they ate. Meowth took it to Jessie, who would scribble some words back, and then Meowth would give it to May, who would read it, and reply.

The twerps offered a simple proposition: Team Rocket would be their sparring partners for practice battles in return for the twerps keeping silent about their status as Rocket Agents. No Pikachu-Catching would be permitted. Jessie and James would show up at Cyndi's house, ready to battle at eleven o'clock tonight. May whispered the plan she and Jessie had formulated via correspondence to the rest of the table. Ash nodded, and walked to the counter, bill in hand.

Jessie was working the register right now, as James was on his break. He placed the money in Jessie's hand roughly, clasping it. "Thank you," he said, squeezing her hand.

"The pleasure is all ours," the red-haired woman said, a knowing smile on her face.

May led the group back outdoors with Pikachu on her shoulder. "C'mon, let's go find some more fun stuff to do!" she cheered.

"But May-" Ash tried to dissuade her.

"C'mon Ash…" May again attempted to use her feminine charm to get the better of the boy.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to step in on this one," Raine told May. "It's getting close to Cyndi's bed time."

"Aww, mom!" Cyndi whined. "I wanted to watch the practice battle!"

"You can, but right now we need to get back home," Cyndi told her daughter.

The older children agreed with Raine, and the five of them walked back to Cyndi's house. The LCD on the VCR displayed 10:32PM, meaning that they still had a bit before Jessie and James would arrive for the practice battle. Ash and May decided that they would take this opportunity to watch the news, while Cyndi took Max to her room to show him her Ash memorabilia. Both of the traveling trainers sat on opposite ends of the couch as Ash flipped on the set with the remote.

"…tried to interview Petalburg Gym Leader, Norman, earlier today for his reaction to the events in Cerulean concerning his daughter," the news anchor on the television explained.

The scene cut to outside the Petalburg Gym earlier that day, with the camera man and the reporter sneaking behind to find a man with a brown shirt and black jeans sitting on a bench, a cool, wet towel lying atop his neck.

"Norman, sir!" The reporter leapt to him, pushing his microphone to the Gym Leader. "What is your comment on the situation in Cerulean concerning your daughter?"

Norman put a scowl across his face and took the microphone into his hand. "My wife and I are going to Kanto to get the story from my daughter herself," He explained. "As for this," he noted the microphone. Norman flexed his powerful arm and crushed the microphone in his hand, causing the audio to disappear from the clip. Norman took the same hand and smashed the television camera with it, ending the scene.

Ash gulped. _If Norman finds as much fault in me as there are in those reporters, I might not live to get my last Frontier Symbol._

"Dad's always been like that," May sighed. "He's never really liked the publicity that comes with being a Gym Leader, so he tries to stay out of the spot light as much as he can. Reporters know not to creep around our back door." She laughed at her last sentence, and Ash chuckled slightly as well.

The scene on the television had changed again. This time, Ash knew the location all to well. The reporters knocked on the front door to Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pallet. The door opened, and a man in his sixties stepped out. The lab coat he wore over his red shirt and khaki pants held various pens and notes. Even though he was old, the man still had energy inside of him. However, his normally jovial expression was replaced with a grim disposition.

"I think you all should run along," the professor told them. "Mrs. Ketchum isn't going to do any interviews until she speaks with her son."

"Professor Oak!" A male reporter spoke up. "What is your comment on the situation?"

"I don't know the situation well enough either, so we're taking my assistant with us and we're going to Cerulean," Oak explained. "As you know, I've never really been camera shy in the past. However, this event hits much closer to home, so to speak. I'd appreciate it from the journalistic community that they'd leave Mrs. Ketchum, my assistant and I alone as we traveled. Thank you for your time." Oak bowed slightly, and began to return indoors. "And tell your colleagues in Hoenn that attempting to talk with Norman is a bad idea." With that, the professor returned in doors and the swarm of reporters left.

"Norman, Mom, Professor, Tracey? They're all coming here?" Ash asked no one in particular.

May fidgeted in her seat, thinking. _Dad's coming? Is he gonna be mad at me for trying to get a boyfriend while I was supposed to be on a Pokémon journey?_ She glanced over at Ash, who was dwelling on the thoughts of his mother coming to town and what she, the professor, and his watcher assistant would do when he told them about how he got hurt. _I hope dad doesn't flip out and hurt Ash…_ she thought to herself.

Upstairs, the two youngest occupants of the house looked around Cyndi's room.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Max smiled. "You've got all this Ash stuff, and even plush dolls of all of his Pokémon!" He looked over the dolls again. "Well, almost all of them," he sighed.

"What do you mean, 'almost all'?" Cyndi got stern. "What other Pokémon does he have?"

"Well, for one, his Grovyle evolved into a Sceptile," Max told her, in a voice that let her know he was right. "And he also caught an Aipom at the Kanto Grand Festival."

"Aipom?" Cyndi raised an eyebrow. "That's a rather weird Pokémon…"

"It was so cool when Ash battled her!" Max told her. "Aipom was doing well against Pikachu, until Pikachu let her have it with a Thunderbolt!"

Cyndi moved to the small television that sat in the corner of her room, close to the door, while Max continued on about Aipom's battle with Pikachu. She blew the dust off an old VCR and stuck in a tape. The television screen came to life, and displayed a logo. 'Orange Islands Championship Match,' it said.

"This is an official recording of Ash's battle against the leader of the Orange Crew!" Cyndi squealed as she plopped herself in front of the television screen. Max sat down next to her, eager to see how the battle unfolded.

* * *

**Jessie and James are gonna help Ash and May train for the battle. Can they keep their Pikachu-snagging plans at home, and honestly return a favor? Join us next time to find out!**

**I was planning on having a long message about leaving bad reviews for people based on hating their ship, but it got really long, so I placed it at the end of my profile, if anyone's interested. **

**Until then, everyone, get Pokémon!**


	20. Conversation

**Chapter 20 is here now! Can you believe that I originally was going to end this at 7? Not the Chapter 7 you all got, mind you, but I had thought of ending it such a long time ago. I'm glad I've taken the story as far as I have. I hope you all like this chapter.**

* * *

The clock ticked down to eleven, and sure enough, Jessie and James knocked on the door. The two were dressed in street clothes, leaving their Rocket uniforms hidden at an undisclosed location. Jessie wore a pink, long sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of grey aerobic pants. James wore a button up shirt and tie, with navy blue pants completing his official look. Meowth had decided not to join them, rather, the scratch cat Pokémon preferred to sleep during the night, a contradiction of his specie's nocturnal nature. Ash and May made sure Corphish and Squirtle were feeling alright, and then went out to face the Rockets in this practice battle. 

"Thank you guys for coming to help with our training," Ash told the Rockets as they prepared for battle outside of Cyndi's house.

"We'll be glad to beat you, twerp!" Jessie smirked.

"Well, we're not gonna make it easy for you!" May chimed in.

"With all the ice cream you've been eating, you're gonna need to work off those calories," James taunted May.

"I am not getting fat!" May roared. The shout echoed thought the quiet city.

"Alright, this practice battle will have no limits on either side for Pokémon or time," Raine declared. "Let the battle begin!"

"Corphish, I choose you!' Ash tossed the Pokéball.

"Squirtle, take the stage!" May threw hers as well.

"Dustox, go!" Jessie threw her ball.

"Cacnea, let's go!" James added his to the mix.

Corphish once again tried to do the flip Drew recommended, but ended up on his face again. Squirtle preformed his trademark entry easily. James' Cacnea leaped back to hug him, but the Rocket Trainer pulled his Grass-type off of his face and sent her into battle. Jessie's Pokéball revealed a Bug-and-Poison-type moth Pokémon. Her yellow compound eyes matched her yellow antennae, her large purple body and green wings intimidated the smaller Pokémon near her.

"Cor…" the water-type rubbed his face.

"Squirtle!" May's Pokémon cheered, ready for battle!

"Cacnea!" The cheery cactus Pokémon smiled at her opponents.

"Dustox!" The Bug-and-Poison type introduced herself.

"Corphish, get in there with Bubblebeam!" Ash ordered.

"Squirtle, add your bubbles!" May told her Pokémon.

"Cacnea, pop those bubbles with Pin Missle!" James commanded.

"Dustox, help Cacnea with Poison Sting!" Jessie added.

As Corphish and Squirtle let the bubbles fly from their claws and mouth respectively, Cacnea and Dustox began shooting them down with the pins. The combination attacks collided with each other, with neither side taking any damage.

"Corphish, Vicegrip Dustox!" Ash ordered. Corphish began to charge at Dustox

"Dustox, knock it away with Psybeam!" Jessie ordered. A psychic energy grew between Dustox's antennae and fired as a beam at Corphish.

"Corphish, break off the attack!" Ash ordered his retreat. The Water-type leapt out of the way of the attack, causing it to hit the ground harmlessly.

"Ash," Raine interrupted, "one of the things you've got to do in a contest is use your attacks to be a defense."

"How would I do that, with stuff other than Harden?" Ash gritted his teeth to the battle.

"Maybe deflecting attacks with Crabhammer," Raine tried to come up with something.

"Oh!" Cyndi chimed in, walking out the door with Max following closely behind, "Like earlier today when you used Vicegrip to grab Absol's Iron Tail!"

"Hmm…" Ash thought for a moment.

"Cacnea, use Pin Missile on that Corphish!" James ordered the assault on the unwary Pokémon.

"Squirtle, use Rapid Spin to block the Pin Missiles and then take the fight to Cacnea!" May said. She looked to Raine, hoping she was following the advice the older coordinator had given Ash.

Squirtle leapt in between Corphish and Cacnea, and began to spin. The spinning motion deflected Cacnea's pins and Squirtle continued to approach Cacnea while spinning. The tiny turtle Pokémon scored a hit on Cacnea, knocking the Grass-Type over.

"Great work, May!" Raine congratulated her.

"Thanks, Raine!" May smiled back.

_That didn't look too hard_, Ash thought to himself. "Alright Corphish, attack Dustox with Bubblebeam!" he ordered.

Corphish fired the rainbow stream of bubbles at Jessie's Dustox. The bubbles knocked the Bug-and-Poison type to the ground. "Get in there and Vicegrip her!" Ash orderd.

"Stop Corphish with Poison Sting!" Jessie told her Pokémon.

"Use Crabhammer as a shield!" Ash told his water-type. Corphish held his glowing, blue claw in front of him. The poison darts shot from Dustox bounced off the claw. Corphish grabbed the moth Pokémon with his claw and threw it at Cacnea.

"Squirtle, freeze Dustox into a block of ice!" May ordered her small Pokémon.

Squirtle took in a deep breath and shot the ice beam at Dustox. The beam came into contact with the Pokémon, trapping her in a large ice crystal. Cacnea tried to break the ice with her glowing Needle Arm, but her arm couldn't quite break the ice. The frozen Pokémon knocked Cacnea off her feet and onto the ground.

"You guys!" Brock ran into the clearing. He looked over at the sides in the battle. "Team Rocket! Are you trying to steal Pikachu again?" The breeder reached for a Pokéball at his belt.

"No, you've got it all wrong!" James tried to stop him.

"He's right, Brock," Ash turned to his friend. "Team Rocket owes us, and they're helping us train for the coming battle with Misty and Harley."

"What? How do they owe you?" Brock asked, confused now.

"It's a long story," Jessie sighed, "we'll let the twerps give you the details latter." The Rocket gritted her teeth and growled at Ash and May. "Are we gonna continue the battle, or can James and I leave?"

"We're gonna keep on battlin', of course!" Ash smiled. "Just as soon as you get your Pokémon back in battling condition, we'll keep going, right May?" He looked at her, a spark in his eyes. He was fully enjoying himself in the battle with May as his partner.

May looked back at him, her fire also reignited. From having lost the Grand Festival, she no longer had a goal. Having the battle to look forward to, she nodded to her tag partner. "Yeah. We're not gonna take a break until we're done!"

"That's the spirit!" Cyndi cheered them on.

"I know you two'll be able to beat Harley and Misty!" Max assured them.

The two trainers turned to Jessie and James. The Rockets stood ready to continue. "Given all the times you've sent us blasting off, I know you'll be able to win," Jessie looked at them.

"She's right. Your Pikachu might be rare and powerful, but without a great trainer like you, he would've never gotten as powerful as he is now." James smiled at the trainers.

"Team Rocket…" Ash was surprised at them. "Alright! Let's get started again! I won't let you all down. Together, May and I will bring Misty back to her senses and defeat Harley." He motivated all of the Pokémon and the trainers present.

"Go!" the battlers shouted, their recovered Pokémon again leaping into battle. This battle would continue throughout the night into the early hours of the morning, with attacks flying from both sides.

It was about 2:00 a.m. when the battlers decided to call it quits. Squirtle and Corphish stood fatigued at their end of the field, while Cacnea and Wobbuffet stood, waiting for the next move. Jessie had already had to recall Dustox and Seviper by this time, embarrassing her that she's been the only one requiring a Pokémon substitution. Corphish tumbled over on to his side, to worn out to continue. Squirtle had fallen asleep several times during the battle, but was woken up by May's calling or an attack from the Rocket Pokémon. May asked Ash if he thought it was time to call it a night, and after the trainer saw how tired Corphish was, he agreed. They thanked the Rockets, who bowed respectfully and turned to go back to where they were staying.

"You'll all be able to stay in here," Raine explained, leading them back into the living room. Cyndi's snoring from the upper floor could be heard clearly.

"I take it most of us are going to have to sleep on the floor?" Brock asked.

"Not at all," Raine told him. She turned to the couch and pulled it out, changing it into a bed.

Ash sighed. "I wish I had known that last night," he sulked.

"If you all four sleep tightly together, you should be able to fit," Raine said.

"I think we can make it work," Brock said, surveying the couch-turned-bed. "Thank you for keeping us here," he added as Raine walked up the stairs.

"Think nothing of it, Brock," she smiled at him. She looked to the rest of the children in her living room, nodded them all a good night, and proceeded up the stairs to sleep, herself.

Brock used his sleeping bag to make a blanket for the group. The breeder chose to lay on one of the ends, with his long time traveling partner next to him. The youngest child took the opposite end of the folded out bed, and his sister took a place between her mentor and her brother. All of them had taken their shoes off, but laid there looking at the roof, fully clothed with the exception of sweatshirts, hats, glasses and gloves.

"I talked to Misty," Brock said after a while of everyone being silent. "She won't even take my word that May's not been doing anything wrong."

"I wonder why she doesn't believe us," Ash thought out loud.

"It may be because you never told her about your injury," Brock explained.

Max's interest was peaked. "Injury?" the boy sat up. He looked over at Ash. "What injury?" he asked.

"Show him, Ash," Brock told him.

"Alright," Ash submitted. He sat up, and began to pull his black shirt off. He felt his face flush slightly at the thought of May seeing him remove his shirt. He was glad that only the moonlight and the dim LCD from the VCR were the only things lighting the room.

May looked over to Ash's shoulders. Round scabs, about circumference of dimes appeared on the boy's shoulders. It was apparent he was healing, and the scabs showed no sign of infection. Yet even then, May couldn't stare at them too long. She blamed herself still for what happened to him that day. May turned her head to face Max.

"Oh, geez, Ash? What happened?" Max was full of questions. The boy reached to the coffee table and put on his glasses.

"When May and I where falling to the lake after we escaped the Weezing Air Mecha," Ash explained, "I used Swellow to slow our decent. He had to grip hard, though, so he ended up hurting me." Ash looked up at the ceiling, picturing his loyal Flying-type. May sat up next to him, looking at the boy's face for answers. "May and I owe Swellow our lives. So what if I got a little hurt? Without his help, May and I might not have survived the fall."

Max protectively grabbed onto his sister's arm. "You don't mean you could have..? You both could have…"

Ash turned to the boy and nodded. "Swellow saved us. I don't mind that he hurt me. I'd rather be alive and hurt, than not here at all. And besides, I know Swellow didn't mean to hurt me. He was just doing what I asked him to."

"Why don't we tell Misty that tomorrow?" May suggested. "We could get her to call off the battle, and we could all be friends again."

"By this point," Max said, "Misty'll probably think that you two are just coming up with a story to get out of battling."

"You're right about that, Max," Brock said, lying back down, "Misty's fueled by much more than concern over her friends."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked him.

Brock faced only the ceiling as he spoke. "Even though she wouldn't openly admit it, she's envious of May."

"What? Why me?" May asked, looking past the topless trainer to her wizened friend.

"Part of Misty still wants to travel," Brock explained. "She sees you living the life she once did, and she wants it back. She misses her friends a great deal. She sat over a picture of Ash, me, and her, and kept looking at it, as if she wanted to have that again."

"Well, Misty could travel with us if she wanted," Ash brought up. "I mean, couldn't her sisters take care of the Gym, now that their back?"

"That's only one part of it, Ash," Brock told him. "Misty's also jealous of the fact that you fell for May, even though Misty was with you for a very long time."

Ash felt his face flush. He sank beneath the covers, and hid his face from the girl next to him. He grumbled something to himself and turned to lie on his stomach.

"C'mon, Ash, tell us," Brock pleaded. "The reason that we're in this mess is because we wouldn't tell each other the full story."

Ash grudgingly flipped back over and stuck his head out from under the covers. "It's not my fault that I didn't start to notice girls until this long," he defended himself. "I guess I was always too focused on Pokémon to begin to notice."

"Then how did you fall for my sister?" Max asked him.

Ash cleared his mind and began to think. Having his crush out in the open allowed him to focus his energy on thinking about where it came from, rather than hiding it "When I met May, she knew almost nothing about Pokémon. I became her teacher that day. I took it upon myself to teach this girl how to be a trainer."

"So the formerly mutually exclusive concepts of Pokémon and girls came together when you met May, right?" Brock asked.

Ash looked up at May, who was staring at him with her deep, sapphire eyes. He turned back away from her. "Yeah, I guess that's how it happened. I mean, there used to be girls back in Pallet I thought were pretty cute until I started training to become a Pokémon Master. My dream became more important than any relationship. But when I met May, they weren't different anymore. I couldn't teach Misty anything, and normally when I tried to talk to her about something, she'd flip out and get mad at me. With May, I could teach her, and I became closer to her as we traveled more. I didn't know it was happening until it hit me: I had a crush on the girl I had been mentoring. It took me a while to come to grips with this. I had never felt this way before. It was the same feeling that I had when I would leave home to go to a new place. Part excitement, part nervousness. I was at the border into a broad new region, full of experiences that I had never thought of before." He sat up and faced May. "I'm sorry I never told you sooner," he said to her. "I didn't think that you'd ever stop traveling with me, just as long as we could keep on going to new places with new Gyms and Contest Halls. I kept putting it off. But when Pikachu told me that Drew had talked to you, I could feel in my gut that he was going to take you away. I had to act, even though I knew that I wasn't ready to say anything yet. I was just following the advice Misty gave me, to not let you get away if I could help it."

"I guess it's a good thing you did," Max laughed, "or you'd never have had the chance to save my sister like you did."

"Well, if he didn't, we also wouldn't have ended up in this situation with Misty," Brock added.

"I guess that's right," Max sighed.

"May, did I upset you?" Ash asked her. "You haven't said anything since I started to talk…"

"No, it's just," May slipped down into the covers and looked at the ceiling, "love is so complicated, yet powerful, ya know?"

Ash had a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You love everyone one of your Pokémon, Ash, like they where your own brothers, sisters, and children. Your Pokémon respond to this love by battling with all of their heart. Yet, that's not the only kind of love," May explained to her traveling companion. "There's also the love you feel for your mother, and she shows back. A love that, even though you are separated by distance, is always strong. Your mother loves you very much, and that's why she allows you to travel, because she knows it's your dream." She blushed a little and continued to talk. "Then there's that special kind of love. The love that you have to share. You start to feel attached to a certain person, and you want to share that love with them. It's a special love that two people who never want to be separated share together. A love that often times starts as a friendship, then develops into something more."

"Did you hear that, Brock?" Max asked jokingly. "If you want to get a girl to like you, you should try to be their friend first, not trying to swoon them with some over-the-top appeal."

"Hey, girls have to give credit to a guy who shows a lot of guts, don't they?" Brock pouted. Ash, May and Max all had a laugh at their lovelorn friend. Brock curled up and grunted out a good night, returning to his world of dreams where he could get any girl he wanted.

"Ash, can I ask you something?" Max looked at the experienced trainer.

"What is it, Max?" Ash smiled. "You know you can ask me anything."

"Well, are you and May gonna start kissing each other?" Max was blunt in his question.

A myriad of emotions ran through Ash's head. At first, his subconscious clocked in with an 'I hope so.' Before this thought could reach his mouth, however, it had to pass though his conscious mind, which jumbled up the message into a kind of embarrassed babbling. Finally, his face, sensing the closeness of the issue and the in-route response, intensified blood-flow though the face. As the trainer began to make an excuse, this tongue got in the way of his lips and changed his excuse into a string of non-words.

May, ignoring the strangeness of her friend's behavior, turned to her brother, "Why would you ask something like that? I have a say, too."

"May, it's obvious you like Ash," Max said, again placing his glasses on the coffee table. "The way you manipulated him at the ice cream parlor was evidence enough."

_And he doesn't even know I've done that to him before!_ A stunned expression flashed across the coordinator's face, quickly being replaced by one of angry denial. "I was just trying to convince him to get ice cream. You wanted some to!" she faced down her brother.

"Yeah, but you acted all cute around him," Max glared at the space to the left of his sister. His vision wasn't what it used to be, especially without his glasses on. "I thought I was gonna get sick, you were being so mushy. And then you tried to get him to kiss your nose!"

At that, Ash's brain finally snapped, and the trainer again fell to his back. A half smile appeared across his face, with his eyes twitching in an almost unnatural way. The amount of blood being used to tint his cheeks red was reaching an unhealthy level.

"I was not!" May denied to her brother. This wouldn't be the first time she tried to get Max to leave her alone by lying, but most of the time, Max would catch her lie and expose it.

This was one of those times. "Oh, come on! You could have easily used a napkin to wipe your nose off. If Pikachu didn't freak out and eat the fudge, I probably would have puked when Ash would've had to kiss you."

"Hey, Pikachu was getting Ash out of an embarrassing situation!" May defended the Electric-Type. She shocked herself with this knowledge, somehow understanding Pikachu's motive without being told. She looked around. "On that note, where is Pikachu?"

May looked over to Ash to see Pikachu leap on his trainer's stomach from his place near the door. Ash groaned loudly, snapping back into conscious thought. He sat up and picked up Pikachu and hugged him, thanking his friend for waking him up from the delirium he was experiencing.

"Oh, Ashy!" Max mimicked his sister's voice, "I want you to kiss me all night long!"

And Ash went down again. Pikachu tickled his trainer's nose with his tail in an attempt to wake his friend again.

"Cut it out, Max!" May blushed at her brother's taunting. "Why do you keep treating Ash and me like a couple?"

"I thought you where," Max said. "Aren't you?"

"No, I haven't chosen between Ash and Drew yet," May told him, her eyes looking down.

"From what I could tell, you have chosen," Max said, turning from his sister. "I'm going to sleep now, too. G'night."

May thought herself the only one left awake when Ash sneezed at Pikachu's attempt. The trainer sat up, again thanking Pikachu for his insistence to bring him back to reality. The Pokémon, knowing his services wouldn't be needed with Max asleep, returned to the floor to sleep near the door.

* * *

**This chapter was overtaken by the conversation between the Advance Generation Cast. I like having discussions between characters. You can see them all lying there, trying to make sense of the situation they had been put in.**

**Plus, I like having all of them together like that.**

**Well, did you like this chapter? I know I kinda skipped out of the battle. If I showed too much training, then I reasonably couldn't surprise you with any tactics used in the coming battles.**

**As for remaining chapters, I'd put my money on this ending closer to chapter 31 through 36, depending on how much longer I begin to drag days out.**

**So, review if you want, comment if you can, and ask questions if you've got 'em**


	21. Celebrity

**Happy September 1st, everybody! Lotsa stuff goes on in this chapter. I hope you all like how the story's going. Lots of Ash/May in this chapter, as well as a confusing dream sequence. But before I spoil more, why not just read it?

* * *

**

Ash and May found themselves the only ones awake in the house. For a while, neither of them said anything, the tension in the air rising.

"Ash," May began, trying to break the silence, "I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that in the ice cream parlor earlier tonight."

"It's alright, May," Ash smiled. "If Pikachu didn't jump in there to help me, I'm not sure what would've happened."

"That's something I wanted to ask you about," May turned to her friend. "For some reason, when I've been talking to Pikachu recently, it almost seems like he can read my mind, and I can understand what he says. Does this happen to you?"

"Of course it does," Ash laughed. "Pikachu and I have been together for a long time now, so we have kind of a bond that lets us know what the other is thinking."

"But why is it happening to me?" May questioned, "I haven't been with Pikachu as long as you have, so why can I understand him?"

"It's got less to do with how much time you've been together, and more to do with what's in your heart," Ash explained. "Pikachu and me have had this bond for a while. It's 'cause we have the same heart, or something. If you can understand Pikachu, then your heart must be lining up with his, too."

_And by extension,_ May thought, _my heart must be coming closer to Ash's._ She looked down at the place on her body where her heart is. She placed a hand there and felt her heart beat. It was a steady beat. Not rapid, like when Drew had kissed her, but controlled. Steady. She placed her other hand on top of the one already on her chest and squeezed it. She felt both happy and sad at the thought. She knew that if things go the right way, she and Ash could travel together as long as they would be able to. May also thought of Drew. Even with her growing feelings for the trainer, she still loved the coordinator. Parts of her wanted to stay with Ash, and others shouted for her to go with Drew. For the first time, May felt like this struggle for her affection was going to tear her asunder. She wrapped her arms around herself, and begun to shiver. May was afraid of what would happen when she made a decision. Who would she hurt by choosing one over the other? Would some people condone a certain choice? _Misty certainly wouldn't mind if I choose Drew_, she thought. She remembered the friendship she used to share with the Cerulean Gym leader, before Harley took control. Would getting out of the battle be as easy as accepting Drew's proposal? May was afraid of this thought. She feared it because it meant running away from her problems and running away from her friends. It meant showing Misty that she was right, even thought May knew she was wrong.

"Are you alright, May?" a compassionate voice asked. May looked up, her eyes sad, but not tearful, to the young man who addressed her. His auburn eyes where full of compassion and worry for her. On his shoulders, proof of how far he was willing to go to protect her. But most importantly, she could see his heart, a heart that overflowed with kindness, understanding, and love. Not just for his partners, or his friends, but for everyone and everything he meets. A kind of person like him was one in a million. No. Once in a life time.

"Ash," May timidly asked her friend, "this is all gonna end all right, isn't it?" She could feel her eyes giving way to the stream of tears, but she fought them back. "After this is over, we're all gonna still be friends, and we're gonna go to the Battle Pyramid, and you're gonna beat Brandon and win your last symbol, right?" The tears slowly worked their way down her face, dripping into her lap.

Ash looked at the crying girl for a moment, taking in fully his protégé's worry. "Of course it's gonna be alright. We'll always be friends, May." He placed his hands on her shoulders. He squeezed them a bit, trying to calm the coordinator down. "After we get Misty back on our side and show her Harley's lies, everything will turn back to normal."

"But what about you and Drew?" May asked him, her eyes gazing into his. "I'm not going to be able to dodge the subject forever. When I choose one of you, the others bound to be heart broken."

"Drew and I actually talked about this on our way to rescue you from Team Rocket," Ash said. "We agreed not to hold a grudge if you picked the other. And even if we didn't, I'd still be your friend, even if you decided to follow Drew."

May said nothing, only smiling at the boy she sat next to.

"So, do you know when you're gonna choose one of us?" Ash asked her. "I mean, if you don't know when you're going to be able to, that's okay." He dropped his arms back down to his side.

"No, it's alright," May glumly stated, "I know it's something on your mind. I just wish it wasn't such a big issue with everyone."

Ash let out a short, quick laugh. "I understand. If you don't feel anything for me, that's alright. I just hoped we'd stick together a while longer…"

"No, Ash," May interrupted him, "It's not that I don't like you." The trainer looked at the girl. She realized what she just said, and now she had to go with it. "I really do like you. You're a great guy, and when I'm with you, I feel safe. But, I also like Drew. He's a romantic, and I can't say that I don't find that appealing."

"Well, I'm not a romantic," Ash smiled, "and I have no intention of becoming one. That would be me trying to be someone I'm not."

"I'm glad, Ash," May smiled at him, "because the last thing we need is more Drews around."

They both snickered at the thought of a world overpopulated with dozens of the same coordinator.

"Thanks for comforting me, Ash. It really means a lot," May smiled at him.

"It's alright, May. You know I'm always here if you need a shoulder to lean on," Ash told her. The trainer was surprised when the girl wrapped her arms around him pulling him tightly in for a hug. Ash placed his arms around May, and the student and teacher held each other for a moment, feeling each others warmth.

May let out a chuckle. "What's up, May?" Ash asked his companion as he held her.

"I can feel your heart beat," May whispered. Ash blushed when he felt his heart pounding against his chest in a steady rhythm.

"Well," Ash countered, "I can feel you breathe." May smiled as she expanded her lungs again, making the boy's arms feel that much tighter around her.

"We'd better be getting to sleep, Ash," May whispered into his ear.

"Alright. We're gonna need to do some more training tomorrow," Ash whispered back.

The couple released each other from their embrace. They looked sheepishly at each other's faces. They whispered a good night to each other, and slipped under the covers to sleep among their friends and family.

_May felt the cool breeze blowing against her face. She looked around to find herself in a familiar field. Ash stood behind her, although he was much taller than she remembered. Looking across the field, she saw Drew and his Roselia. Brock stood at the sidelines, watching the battle, and she could barely make out her red bandana in the bushes behind him._

"_We can't waste this opportunity, Pikachu! Thunderbolt him!"_ _May heard those words ring in her ears. She looked down at her hands and feet, seeing the small, yellow body of Ash's partner. She nodded at Ash, and ran on all fours toward Roselia. May glared at the enemy Pokémon, sensing something familiar about him. She concentrated her hardest, and launched a massive electric charge at the small Grass-type. He screamed with a familiar voice, but May couldn't put her finger on whose it was._

_Roselia shook off the Thunderbolt as Drew shouted a command. "Roselia, Petal Dance!"_

_Roselia smiled a familiar, fiendish grin. He spun around and the pink petals flew at May. She tried to leap around the petals, but they came from too many directions at once, and she felt herself getting pushed back by the force of the attack. May felt the petals cutting against her sides, but felt no pain. She heard a loud thud as she hit the ground._

"_Get up, Pikachu! I know you can do it, buddy!" Ash called to her. She came to be standing on all fours, and looked down the field at Roselia. _

I remember this part_, she thought. _

"_Pikachu, this is our shot!" Ash called to May, "Take 'em out with Volt Tackle!"_

_May looked at Roselia for a moment longer. Even though she was afraid that she was gonna run into another Petal Dance, she began running across the field as fast as she could. She could feel a buildup in her face. The power that her body contained began to rise to the surface as she ran down the field toward her adversary._

"_Roselia, finish her off with Solar beam!" Drew commanded. Roselia grinned as he held his rose-tipped hands into the air. May could see the energy he was collecting move into his grasp._

"_No, I absolutely won't lose to you!" May shouted, hearing her own voice come out of Pikachu's mouth. A golden, sparking aura enveloped her. Her powers had taken on a visible form. She charged as quickly as she could at Roselia._

"_Roselia, now!" Drew commanded._

_May leapt at Roselia, her body coursing with the electric energy. Just before she connected, though, Roselia lowered his rose and shot a beam of energy straight into her face. May again felt no pain, but a sudden fatigue came over her as the beam flung her small body through the air. She tumbled across the ground and landed near Ash's feet._

"_Pikachu is no longer able to battle!" Brock called from the sidelines. "Drew and Roselia are the winners!"_

"_Serves you right!" Roselia called to May using Harley's voice. "You didn't think you could beat me, did you?"_

"_Harley…" May growled, but her body couldn't muster the strength to fight back._

"_You're such a joke, May," Roselia walked over to her and kicked dirt into her eyes. May's vision went black; all she could do was hear._

"_Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash asked her, taking her into his gentle hands._

"_Yeah," she choked out. "I feel so weak."_

"_We've already lost May," Ash told her. "I'll take you back to the Pokémon Center, and then we'll talk with Max and Brock about leaving without her."_

"_Why, Ash?" May asked him from his arms. "Why are you gonna give up on her?"_

"_She obviously likes Drew more than me," Ash began to cry. He didn't let it affect his talking. "He probably set up the battle to make a fool of me."_

"_No, I set up the battle, Ash," May tried to comfort him. Her small Pikachu arms tugged on his collar._

"_Does that even matter?" Ash asked her. "If she's in love with Drew, then I shouldn't get in the way. It's what makes her happy that's important."_

"_I'm not in love with Drew!" She shouted at him. She could feel her cheeks light up with involuntary sparks. "And I won't be happy with him! You've got to save me, Ash!"_

"_It's too late for that," the tears continued to flow down his face. "I battled for her, and lost."_

"_It's not the outcome of any stupid battle that makes someone love someone else!" May shouted again. "No matter what the stakes, if two people love each other, then they'll rise above what ever losses they face, and be better for it! Not even if we lose to Misty!"_

May sprung awake to find herself the only one left in the bed. She looked around for signs of the rest of her traveling party. However, it was her own words from the dream that echoed through her thoughts. Did it really not matter if they beat Misty? All May would have to do is tell the truth about how she felt about Ash, and the kinds of things they do together. She felt a smile quickly rise to her face. May sat up and looked about the room. Not even Pikachu, who's post was at the door, remained in the room. She turned to the kitchen and heard talking coming from it. She decided to get up and go see what the ruckus was about.

The coordinator wandered into the kitchen to find Brock cooking while performing a spectacular show. He was fixing them a hash brown casserole dish using the shredded potatoes, eggs, cheese and ham. As he flipped his creation into the air again, May looked for a chair to sit at. All of the chairs that the house could pull together were assembled here. Ash sat at the head of the table, with Max and Cyndi taking the spots closest to him. Raine sat beside her daughter, looking over her shoulder to watch Brock cook. May felt herself get angry at Max and Cyndi for only a second, but then shook it off. _Why should I get mad at them for sitting next to my Ash_, she thought, sitting down. _Wait, hold the phone! My Ash?_ May surprised herself. Why was she taking ownership of the boy, now? _This is all so confusing_, May sighed. She took a seat next to her brother and tried to follow the story Ash was telling the young children about.

"There was this other time that Jigglypuff met up with twin Igglybuffs that were going to perform in concert. She interrupted their performance and put us all to sleep again!" Ash energetically told the admittedly boring story.

May sighed, not caring what the boy was talking about. She absentmindedly played with the fork placed near her plate. She looked into her empty glass. She felt thirsty just looking at it. As May stood up, Brock turned around and began placing the casserole on the plates of everyone who was waiting. May filled her glass with water from the sink and returned to her plate to begin eating.

"Brock, you outdo yourself each and every time," May commented, taking in another bite. "This is great."

"You only say that because it's true," Brock jokingly smiled, taking a seat next to the coordinator. The talking had ceased, and was replaced by the sound of two wild Pokémon tearing apart their meal. Brock coughed loudly to get Ash and May to realize that they were making a scene. They smiled, their mouth splattered with their breakfast. Ash and May started to eat at a slower pace than before. The messy eaters glanced over at each other, each thinking how adorable the other was just now.

After cleaning her plate thoroughly for the second time, May thought that it was time to go take a shower. She asked Cyndi and Raine where their shower was, and the mother told her that it was down the hall from Cyndi's room. She thanked the blue-haired woman and left the room to gather a change of clothes and head to the shower.

Ash finished his second helping and left to go wait for May in the living room so they could continue their training. He and Pikachu sat on the couch after folding it back up, waiting for the girl to come down the stairs. Just then, Ash heard a tiny rapping against the window. When he looked outside, he saw a yellow and red bird Pokémon flying outside the window. He recognized his Noctowl the moment he set eyes on it. Ash ran outside to greet his old friend. "Noctowl?" Ash smiled, "What are you doing here?"

"I hope you didn't mind that we brought it," the elderly professor commented, walking up to the boy and his Pikachu. "It was the only way I could think of to find you in this city.

"Professor Oak!" Ash smiled. "I saw on the news that you where coming."

"Ash!" the boy felt his mother begin to smother him. She squeezed him tighter than he had ever felt before.

"Mom," Ash choked out, "can you please stop killing me?"

Mrs. Ketchum slackened her grip. "Sorry, Ash," she smiled, "I was just worried about you. What could have happened between you and Misty that would have her up in arms against you?"

"I brought Noctowl's Pokéball for you, Ash," his friend said, stepping out of the professor's shadow. He wore a red headband under his hair that was parted right down the middle. His familiar green shirt gave Ash comfort as he held the Pokéball for the trainer.

"Thanks, Tracey," Ash said, taking the ball from him. He turned to Noctowl, saying, "You did great to find me, Noctowl. Your psychic powers must be coming along very well. Return." Just as he was about to recall his Johto Flying-Type, Noctowl turned his head around, looking into the distance. "Do you see something?" Ash asked his Pokémon. Noctowl flew up and down the path when he came into contact with a butterfly Pokémon. Her wings were colored with bright yellow, blue and red. Her long, hose mouth instinctively shot a string at Ash's Noctowl. The Owl Pokémon turned the attack back with his Psychic powers, but the butterfly counter with the same ability, snaring Ash's Noctowl in the sticky string.

"Noctowl!" Ash called to it as it fell to the ground before a large man with short hair and a brown shirt. The trainer approached his fallen Pokémon, but stopped short when he recognized the man and the Pokémon he was traveling with.

The man had a look of intense focus upon his face. He glared at Ash, not recognizing him for who he was, at first. The woman next to him, in her long, orange dress, was the first to recognize the wandering trainer. She held a small, pink Pokémon in her arms that seemed to be napping away.

"Ash?" asked the woman. "Is that you?"

"Is that Ash?" the man asked his wife. As the trainer came closer to them, he remembered the boy under whose care he placed his children under. "Hello, Ash," the man ran to meet him where Noctowl lay.

"Norman?" Ash gulped. The first images in his mind were Norman crushing the microphone and the nightmare where he decked the young trainer.

"It's been a long time, Ash," Norman smiled. "Caroline and I came as soon as we heard there was trouble."

"That's…cool," Ash said, almost afraid of how friendly the Petalburg Gym Leader was acting towards him.

"Is that Noctowl yours?" Norman asked the trainer.

"Yeah," Ash picked up his Pokémon. He tried to pull the String Shot out of Noctowl's wings.

"It's rare to see a Noctowl of that color," Norman smiled. "You're very lucky."

"Beau!" The butterfly Pokémon called, motioning toward the top of the building.

"Oh, Beautifly! Is May in there?" Caroline asked the Bug-Flying type.

"Yeah, she's probably still taking her shower," Ash looked at the rather rundown building.

"Ash!" Tracey ran up the road to see the trainer conversing with the Gym Leader and his wife. "Do you know these people?"

"Oh, yeah," Ash turned to them, "Norman, this is Tracey. I met him when I traveled though the Orange Islands. Right now, he's Professor Oak's assistant."

"That is a very notable position," Norman said thoughtfully.

"Tracey," Ash continued, "These are Norman and Caroline. They're May's parents from Petalburg City. Norman's the Gym Leader there."

"Oh, wow!" Tracey exclaimed. "Max told me a lot about your Pokémon, Norman." Tracey smiled.

"Why don't we go inside and wait for May to come down?" Norman asked. The group agreed and they all wandered into the house to wait for the girl to get finished taking her shower. Oak had to pull Mrs. Ketchum along through the clothing store part and into the living space in the back.

* * *

**A happy reunion as all of the important people from Pallet and Petalburg journey all the way out here to voice their concern about their children. But what will their reaction be to the closeness of Ash and May? And is Tracey feeling uncomfortable? What's he worried about?**

**I hope the dream sequence wasn't too hard to understand. If you all have any questions about it, don't hesitate to PM me about it. I'll be glad to try and shed some light on what it was supposed to mean.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and can wait for the next one. Until next time, everyone, get Pokémon!**


	22. Collapse

**Did you have a nice weekend? I got to go home for Labor Day (USA), so I got to see my family and girlfriend. I'm in a good mood right now. Here's the next chapter!**

**Hrmm... something seems to be cloging the internets around here. Apparently some of you saw CH1 again? Don't be discouraged. I suspect that there are server issues with and that they will be fixed before too long.**

* * *

Max was ecstatic to see his parents again. Raine offered to make some tea for them, to which all of the newly arrived guests agreed. Norman and Caroline sat on the couch next to Max, while Oak and Mrs. Ketchum sat in wooden chairs that had been brought in from the kitchen. Cyndi stepped out and immediately began to run over to the famous Professor, the one who gave Pikachu to her idol. 

"Wow!" Cyndi was hopping up and down in front of the old man. "I can't believe it's really Professor Oak!" She smiled at the man, making him feel rather uncomfortable. "You gotta tell me about giving Ash his Pikachu! He's so awesome! I want to start with a Pikachu when I become a trainer!"

"Cyndi," Raine calmly sipped her tea, "don't pester our guests."

"But these are all of the people Ash has come to rely on, mom!" Cyndi whined. "I might not ever have this chance to talk to all of them again!"

As Cyndi continued her rounds into bothering Ash's mother, the boy himself waited for May to finish her shower upstairs.

"Are you done yet?" Ash asked, his impatience growing.

"Why?" May asked from the shower, "Do you have to use the bathroom?"

"No, I just thought you'd like to see your mom and dad," Ash called through the door.

"Mom and Dad are here?" May slammed the door open. She zipped past Ash and ran down the stairs to find the living room chalk full of the people she knew. "Mommy! Daddy!" May smiled as she ran over to her parents. They both stood and gave their daughter a hug as a bewildered Ash wandered down stairs and sat on the ground near his mother.

"We're so glad to see you, honey," Caroline smiled into her daughter's hair.

The small pink Pokémon leapt up and began nuzzling May's leg while Beautifly landed on May's green bandana for the first time. "Skitty, Beautifly, it's nice to see you both as well!"

"We were so worried about you when we heard that the Cerulean Gym Leader challenged you to a battle," Norman held his daughter close for a moment longer before letting her go.

"Yes, Ash," Oak sipped his tea, "what happened between you four and Misty to cause this falling out?"

Brock began to enter the room from washing dishes when Ash and May both shot him a look. He read their looks as best he could. He shot them a disappointed glance, and returned to the dishes.

"You see," Ash began, "May and I got separated from Max and Brock by an attack by Team Rocket. We were lost in the woods for over a day before we found our way into Cerulean City." He shot a nervous glance at Norman, afraid of what the powerful man would do if he suspected fowl play.

"After we got here, we visited Misty," May a continued, "and she was pretty nice the first time."

"The first time?" Norman asked his daughter.

"Ash went shopping and got me this new bandana after my old one got torn up while we were lost," May continued.

Ash felt his face flush as he glanced over at May's father. The man shot him a smile. "That's very considerate of you, Ash." Norman was pleased with the trainer's actions. "I'm glad May and Max have someone like you to watch out for them."

"Thanks, Norman," Ash smiled. "After we got some ice cream, we came back to the Cerulean Gym, and Misty wasn't herself. Harley, May's rival, told Misty a bunch of lies about how May had been treating me badly and Misty believed him and turned on us. That's when she challenged May to the battle. When Misty wouldn't listen to what I had to say, I also challenged her to the battle, putting May and I up against her and Drew-I mean, Harley." Ash blushed at the slip up.

"I'll go over to the Gym right now and straighten this up," Norman said, coming to his feet.

"Actually, Norman," Oak interrupted, "I think that Ash and May should handle this one."

Norman sat back down. "Are you sure? With the Harley spreading lies and rumors?"

Oak nodded. "This is their battle. There are times when even parents must step aside to allow their children to grow."

"Do you want me to stay out of the fighting?" Norman asked Ash and May.

A lump rose in May's throat. She wanted to get out of the battle. She wanted everyone to be friends again. Would she tell her father that she wanted his help? Would she tell him that she was afraid? That she didn't want to fight anymore with her friends?

Ash stood up and faced Norman. "I think we'd do better if you don't get involved. May and I have been practicing for the coming battle, and we're getting good. May's a really great trainer, and I know that she'll make you proud."

_Ash really does believe in me_, she thought. _I can't let him down. I've gotta fight, too!_ "Leave it to us, daddy!" May stood up. "We can beat Misty and Harley."

Norman smiled at his child, impressed with her courage. "Very well, then. I'll be cheering for you during the battle."

"Speaking of which, we need to get to training," Ash spoke to May. The girl nodded, bowed respectfully to her father, and she and Ash began to head outside.

"Ash?" the trainer heard the voice of Tracey behind him as he walked out the door. "Can I speak to you in private for a sec?"

"Sure, Tracey," Ash smiled at him. He turned to May. "You go ahead of me," he smiled, "I'll catch up with you where we trained with Drew yesterday."

"Okay," May smiled. Skitty and Beautifly chased after her, happy to be with their trainer again.

"Now what is it, Tracey?" Ash asked his old friend.

"It's actually kind of embarrassing," Tracey blushed. "You've gotta keep this under your hat, okay?"

"Sure," Ash smiled, "what is it?"

"Well," Tracey continued to blush, "I've been visiting Misty and her sisters up here for a while now. I come in every time, and Misty seems to glad to see me. You know what I mean, right?"

"Uh…" Ash drew a blank. "no."

"What I'm trying to say is…" Tracey drew his face close to Ash's ear, "… is that I like Misty."

"Yeah? I like Misty, too," Ash was confused, still completely missing the point.

"No, I mean I really like her," Tracey told him, getting annoyed with the boy's density.

"Oh. Oh!" Ash finally got it. "Well, that's great, Tracey! Have you told her yet?"

"Of course not!" Tracey's blush thickened. "I can tell she doesn't have the same feelings for me. And it's not great!"

"What do you mean?" Ash was confused.

"I mean I have to choose between a girl I like and one of my very best friends!" Tracey struggled against himself.

"How much do you like Misty?" Ash asked his friend, concerned over his plight.

"I think about her everyday!" Tracey collapsed. "I gave her Azurill after she told me about how she felt lonely after she let Togepi go. I've come up every time that she's called. I love her, Ash."

"Then go be with her, Tracey. Misty needs friends in her corner, too." Ash told his friend.

"But-" Tracey's eye began to water, "but won't you be angry with me? I'll be siding against you. I'll be cheering for you to lose!"

"It's alright, Tracey," Ash comforted his friend. "When this is all over, we're all gonna be friends again. We'll get Harley's lies out in the open, and Misty will be our friend again. And if you really do love her, you've got to do everything you can to keep her. A friend of mine told me that once, and I followed her advice. Things are still going well for me. I can only hope that her advice'll help you, too."

Tracey gave Ash a large hug. "Thank you, Ash," he sniffed. "You're a great friend. I'd have never met Misty if it wasn't for you. I'd have never become Oak's assistant and realized my dream. I'd still be a nothing if you had never come along."

"It's alright, Tracey," Ash smiled. "You'd have become Oak's assistant anyway, even if you had never met me. You're an awesome Pokémon Watcher." He pulled away from his emotional friend. "Now, go to Misty. She needs her friends right now." With that, the watcher nodded, and ran out the door to the Cerulean Gym. Ash followed him out, but ran in an opposite direction to where May awaited him. Pikachu came up behind him and leapt onto his shoulder.

When May wandered into the clearing, she gasped in surprise.

"Good morning," Drew said to her, as if he was waiting for her.

"Good morning, Drew," May looked at him inquisitively. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize for blowing you off yesterday after our battle," he said, taking a rose out from behind him and holding it out for her, his head bowed. "I'm sorry. Will you accept my heartfelt apology?"

May blushed and took the rose from him. "S-sure," she smiled, looking into the rose.

"I came to help you train for the upcoming battle, like I said I would," Drew looked into her sapphire eyes.

"You mean, help Ash and I train?" May looked back into his eyes, feeling the conflicting feelings trapped and allured.

Drew brought his face closer to May's. She could feel his breath on her lips. "I guess I could, if you wanted me to," he sweetly whispered. He drew his lips closer to hers and-

"May?" the voice of her tag battle partner rang though the quiet air. May quickly pushed Drew back before he could make contact. She felt her face turn deep red. Everything became dark around her. "May, are you there?" the voice echoed. She faintly saw someone coming out of the bushes.

From the depths of her mind, she heard something. A chorus of voices. Some happy, others, dissatisfied.

The conflicting voices in her head rang out. _Why did you push him back?_ asked her lips. _I wanted to feel his soft lips against mine!_

_Drew was making moves on me!_ her brain fired back. _He's trying to seduce me!_

_But were you letting him? _a part deep inside of her asked. _I know you wanted to kiss him back._

May felt like she was losing her mind. As her heartbeat quickened, she heard a voice spring up. _So what if I did? I need love, too! Mom has it! Raine has it! I need to feel wanted! After the Grand Festival, I felt so lost. I didn't have a goal anymore. I couldn't get on stage. I couldn't have people cheer me on. I lost that feeling of being loved. I want it from somewhere. But, I feel a loyalty somewhere inside of me. A loyalty that wouldn't let me be caught by him with another. Why am I worried about it? I haven't chosen yet._

"_From what I could tell, you have chosen." _The voice of her kid brother rang out in her mind. _Have I already mentally made a choice? For who? My teacher? The romantic? Both of them? Who?_

"May, are you okay? Say something!" she heard a voice calling to her. It sounded… familiar. Like he was worried. Someone she knew very well who was worried.

"C'mon May. Get up!" another voice talked to her. The voice of someone close, yet distant. He sounded commanding. Someone who keeps an air of superiority around him.

She opened her eyes, not realizing that she had fainted. Each of her sapphire eyes beheld a boy. Each with a choice. Each with a future. Whose would she choose?

"Thank goodness you're awake, May," her friend let out a sigh of relief. "I was worried when I found you unconscious here."

"I was unconscious?" May furrowed her brow. "I don't remember that."

"You fainted when you heard Ash calling for you," the charming emerald eyed boy held her hand.

"Why would I do that?" May asked him. "That seems pretty weird."

"Anyway," Ash smiled, reaching a hand out for hers, "I'm glad you're okay. Do you think you'll be able to train?"

She took his hand and was pulled to her feet by her tutor. "Of course I am!" May smiled. "You said you were gonna help us, right, Drew?"

"That's what I said," he shot an intense glare at Ash, who wasn't really paying him a great deal of attention.

"Okay, who goes first?" Ash asked him after taking his gaze off May's eyes.

"How about we do it in the same order as yesterday?" Drew smiled.

"Okay, that means I go first," Ash ran across the clearing so that there would be enough room for them to battle. Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder and ran up to May. She took the small Pokémon in her arms and sat at the sidelines to watch.

"Are you ready?" Drew asked him.

"Sure," Ash smiled back, intensity in his eyes. He reached to his belt and plucked off a Pokéball. "Corphish, I choose you!" Ash tossed the ball through the air, and it sprang open, revealing Corphish. The Water-Type flipped forward, but before he crashed into the ground, he caught himself on his claws, and sprung forward, landing on his feet, completing the somersault.

"Corphish!" the ruffian Pokémon grunted. Ash smiled at Corphish before turning to his student. "Thanks for your help with that, May," He smiled at her. Drew's interest also peaked.

"No problem, Ash," May smiled at him. "Sometimes the student teaches the teacher, ya know." She gave him a wink.

Drew began to grind his teeth together. "Go, Absol!" he shouted. He chucked the ball, and his Absol appeared seconds later. _I'll show him_, Drew thought with as much intensity as he could muster. _He'll quit showing off to May when I clean his clock!_ Absol growled at Corphish, who flashed his pincers, ready to fight.

"Umm…" May sat there for a moment. "Begin?"

"Absol," Drew shouted, "use Water Pulse!"

"Corphish, Harden!" Ash commanded.

Absol created a wave of water and sent it barreling at Corphish. The crustacean Pokémon shone green for a moment, and as the Water Pulse came over him, stood through it, completely unaffected.

"You'll have to try harder than that," Ash smiled.

"Absol, blind him with Flash!" Drew grunted. Absol let shine a brilliant light that caused Corphish to close his eyes due to the intensity. "Now, Iron Tail!"

As Absol began to charge at Corphish, Ash and his blinded Pokémon stood still. When Absol was about 4 feet away, Ash shouted, "Bubblebeam!" Corphish, still unable to see, fired its multicolored bubbles at Absol, who took the attack head on due to the proximity. Absol was pushed back toward a stunned Drew. "How could you hit Absol if you couldn't see?" Drew asked.

"Corphish and I have a bond of trust," Ash remarked. "He knows that when I tell him to use Bubblebeam, that he needs to use it."

"I'll show you how strong your bond is!" Drew grunted. "Absol, Razor Wind!"

Absol wound his head back and sliced through the air, sending a sharp blade through the air at Corphish.

"Corphish, sent it right back!" Ash shouted. Drew didn't understand the command before it was set into motion.

Corphish stood still and blinked a few times as the Razor Wind approached. Before it came to close, Corphish leapt into the air and grabbed the Razor Wind in his pincer. Acting quickly, Corphish threw the volatile attack back to its origin. Taken by surprise, Absol took the attack head on. The Dark-Type struggled to his feet, and looked down the field at Corphish.

"Corphish, now is our turn to strike. Get in there with Crabhammer!" Ash called. Corphish began charging at Absol.

"Block it with Water Pulse!" Drew ordered.

Absol used Water Pulse to create a pillar of water around it, to serve as a shield.

"Plunge on through it, Corphish!" Ash commanded him. Corphish leapt into the Water Pulse and came out the other side above Absol. "Now, Crabhammer!"

"Absol, Iron Tail!" Drew mounted a defensive.

Both Pokémon flew against each other. Absol's glowing tail came into contact with Corphish's glowing claw. The attacks where at a stand still. "Another Crabhammer!" Ash told his Pokémon. Corphish's opposite claw began to glow and it slammed into Absol underside, knocking the air out of the Disaster Pokémon. Absol plummeting to the ground as Corphish stood ready for more.

"Um…" May looked over at Absol, "Drew, I don't think he can continue…"

"Of course he can!" Drew spat. "Get up, Absol so we can teach his Corphish a lesson."

"A..aa…a.bs" the Pokémon grunted, struggling to stand up.

"Corphish, Return!" Ash called out, recalling his Pokémon. He walked over to Drew and Absol.

"Why did you recall Corphish?" Drew angrily shouted. "The battle wasn't over!"

"Absol's hurt pretty bad," Ash showed his concern for Drew's Pokémon's well being. "You need to take him to the Pokémon Center so he can rest."

Drew ground his teeth together again. He knew Ash was right. He grudgingly recalled Absol. He tried to put a cool look on his face. "I guess what ever May taught you last night really paid off, huh?"

Ash smiled. "Yeah, she's been a great help for getting me ready for the battle."

"I'll take Absol to the Pokémon Center, now," Drew smiled at May, causing her to blush. "I'll see you guys around."

"See you later, Drew!" May waved to him as he walked off. She smiled at him, even though he couldn't see.

"Thank you for your help last night, May," Ash smiled at her. "You're ideas for how to Contest Battle worked really well. I bet they'll even help me win my match against Brandon."

May blushed at the praise she was receiving. "You're welcome, Ash," she smiled back. "I'm glad I could help." Her face became curious. "Did I really faint, Ash?" she asked him.

"When I came through the bushes, I saw you lying on the ground, out cold," Ash explained. "Drew was standing above you, so I rushed over and tried to wake you up. I asked Drew what happened to you, and he said that after you heard me calling from behind the bushes, you fainted." Ash turned a bit grim. "I was worried that he had done something to you. Are you feeling okay?"

May nodded. "I'm alright, Ash," she tried to dispel his worry. "I remember seeing you come out of the bushes before I lost consciousness."

"That's good," Ash sighed. "I was worried that I was gone for too long and something bad might've happened."

"Well, since Drew's gone to the Pokémon Center, do you wanna have a practice battle with me?" May shyly smiled at Ash.

Ash was caught off guard and began to blush. "O-okay. Sure," the trainer answered. "But we better not battle too hard, or else we won't be at one hundred percent for tomorrow."

"That's true," May placed her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Hey, what about you use Aipom and I use Squirtle? That way Corphish doesn't get too tired out from battling twice in a row?" She smiled at her idea as she brought it up to the trainer.

"That sounds like a great idea, May," he answered. He pulled Aipom's Pokéball out and after thinking for a moment, he pulled out Corphish's Pokéball, too. He laughed as he tossed both of them into the air, causing the long-tailed and the ruffian Pokémon to appear. Ash leaned down to Corphish and said, "Now pay attention to May and Squirtle. Learn how they attack, and you'll be a better team mate."

"Cor," Ash's Water-type nodded. He and Pikachu sat on the sidelines as Ash and May got ready for their battle.

* * *

**Ash wins against Drew, but can he battle to the max against his crush? What effect will the battle have on their relationship? Please continue to read/review and keep PMing me your questions and comments.**

**On Friday (In the US, at any rate), on Cartoon Network at 8:30PM Eastern Time, Pokémon: Battle Frontier will premiere. I want to be supportive of the new dub, and I hope you will, too. I hope you all will watch it. If you're an Advanceshipper, the episode has a shippy moment (PM me if you want specifics about that).**

**In any case, until next time: Everyone, get Pokémon!**


	23. Caught

**Are you all having as much fun as I am? I hope so. Let the obligatory battle between costars begin! Chapter 23, begin! ****

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**

"Are you ready, May?" Ash smiled across the field at May.

"Don't go easy on me just because you like me, Ashy," May taunted him, winking.

"I had no intention," Ash grinned back, blushing only slightly. "You ready, Aipom?" Ash asked his Pokémon. Aipom bounced expectantly on her tail, ready to battle.

"Alright, Squirtle, take the stage!" May tossed his ball into the air. Squirtle appeared, performing his entrance perfectly. "I'll go first, if you don't mind. Ladies first, and all," she grinned across the field. "Squirtle, Tackle!" She ordered her tiny turtle Pokémon. Squirtle leapt head first towards Aipom.

"Aipom, catch Squirtle with your tail!" Ash ordered. Aipom extended her tail forward, ready to catch Squirtle like a baseball.

"Mess 'em up with Rapid Spin!" May ordered. At that, Squirtle pulled himself into his shell, and began to spin at a high speed. Aipom still tried to catch him, but the friction caused by the spinning burned her tail. She leapt up and down, holding the end of it in her clumsy hands.

"Aipom, are you alright?" Ash called to her. The Normal-Type nodded, and would try to continue to battle. "Alright, Aipom, use Swift!" Ash ordered. Aipom leapt into the air and swung her tail, causing star-shaped rays to fly at Squirtle.

"Withdraw!" May shouted. Squirtle obeyed, and was safely inside his shell before the stars hit. "Now, Water Gun!" Only Squirtle's head came out of the shell, and he fired a powerful spray of water at Aipom.

"Double Team!" Ash sneered. Aipom split into three copies of herself and the water flew through one, dispelling it. The monkey Pokémon continued to Double Team, surrounding Squirtle.

"Squirtle, blanket the field in Bubble!" May commanded. Squirtle stood up and fired a large quantity of Bubbles into the air. They all began to fall to earth, each snapping near an Aipom. All of the Aipom had disappeared from view. "Where did she go?" May glanced around.

"Toss Squirtle into the air!" Ash cried out. Aipom leapt out of the bushes behind Squirtle and used her tail to grab the Pokémon. A hint of pain on her face, she spun around and threw Squirtle into the air with a spin. The Kanto Water-type couldn't control his trajectory, and withdrew into his shell in fear.

"Be brave, Squirtle!" May called to her Pokémon. Squirtle came out of his shell, but he was already plummeting to earth. "Soften the landing with Water Gun!"

"Not if I can help it!" Ash smiled. "Aipom, Focus Punch!" Aipom wound up her tail as a glow enveloped it. As she swung at May's Pokémon, however, the glow dissipated and Aipom's tail made an audible crack against Squirtle's shell. The Normal-Type winced in pain as her tail recoiled. She landed back on the ground, holding her tail protectively. Squirtle landed with a smile on his face as he was still battle ready.

"Aipom, what's wrong?" Ash asked her, a concerned look on his face.

"I'll tell you, Ash," May smirked at him. "When Aipom grabbed Squirtle early on, her tail got injured. Since nearly all of her attacks come from that tail, the power of her attacks was cut in half, and she couldn't maintain the focus needed for Focus Punch."

Ash looked at May, a kind of disbelief on his face. He shook it off and replaced it with an immense pride. "Aipom, return!" he called, allowing the Normal-Type to rest. "You win, May." He smiled at her.

"Really?" May was surprised. "But Aipom could have continued."

Ash shook his head. "No, with her tail burned like that, she wouldn't be able to keep up the pace, especially with Squirtle keeping the pressure on like her did. That Bubble attack you did to counter Double Team was awesome!"

"You really think so?" May blushed. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking into Ash's auburn eyes.

"Yeah," Ash said, his eyes caught in May's gaze. He felt his heart beat quicken as May stepped closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. Ash could feel the blood vessels in his face fill up, turning him many shades more crimson.

"That's very sweet of you," she blushed, as well. She placed her gloved hand on his cheek. She could feel the warmth that had spread across his face. Ash couldn't tell what was compelling him, but he felt his face being drawn into May's. His eyes widened with anticipation as May closed hers and puckered her lips.

"Cor-phish!" Ash's water-type coughed loudly, destroying the romantic moment the two where sharing together.

Both of them blushed a few shades darker, realizing that they still had an audience of their Pokémon. They stepped away from each other and looked in each others face for answers.

"A-ash?" May asked, stuttering. "A-a-r-re you okay?" She could feel her heart beat throughout her body.

The only thing to leave Ash's mouth was a string of babble. May could make out the word 'kiss' among the garble. The embarrassed boy turned away from May and hid his eyes under the brim of his hat. She could see him shaking. She bit her bottom lip, trying to curb her anger against Corphish for interrupting her kiss with Ash.

"What's going on over here?" They heard someone shout. May turned to see Brock climbing out of the bushes, followed by the grand procession of everyone who had been in Raine's house that morning. Max and Cyndi, however, where noticeably absent.

"W-we where just having some practice, right Ash?" May looked over to her mentor for support.

Ash, still unable to form words, pointed to Pikachu, who nodded on his trainer's behalf.

"We came to find out if you knew where Tracey went," Oak spoke up from the crowd of adults.

"Tracey went to the Cerulean Gym," Ash regained control over himself. "He wanted to ask Misty what was wrong himself."

"I see," the wise man said. "I don't think I should get involved with that," he said, shooting a knowing glance at Ash.

"So, how did practice go?" Mrs. Ketchum walked over to her son and looked into his eyes while a bright smile danced across her face.

"I-it went well. May did a great job in her battle against me," Ash said. He could almost feel his mother reading his thoughts.

"If there's anything you want to ask me about," she said after probing her son's eyes for a moment, "go ahead, okay, honey?" Mrs. Ketchum stood up and walked back over to the group of adults.

"Are you two hungry?" Raine asked them. "We where getting everyone together for lunch. We'll be ready just as soon as we could find Cyndi and Max."

"No, we're not hungry," May blushed.

Caroline ran over to her daughter and placed her palm against her daughter's forehead. "Are you feeling alright, May? You've never turned down food before…"

"It's nothing," May averted her gaze. She knew that she had just given her secret away to her mother. _I can't hide it from her. Moms just figure out these things._

Caroline looked over at Ash, who had recalled Corphish and was chatting with the Professor, Norman, and his mother. Her eyes met May's again, being greeted by the girl's blushes. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah…" May looked at her feet. Her Squirtle had walked over to her, trying to comfort her from her feet. "But don't tell Daddy!" she quietly pleaded. "He sent me with Ash to become a good trainer, not to get a boyfriend!"

"Alright," Caroline whispered back to her daughter. "But your father will know eventually."

"But I'm not even sure if Ash is the one," May sighed, thinking about her predicament.

"There's more than one!" Caroline shouted, dragging everyone's attention over to her daughter.

"Yeah," May said loudly, trying to play down the situation, "there are so many great places to eat here, I can't pick between them." She shot her mother a look that said, _Don't embarrass me like that, mom!_

"You know, May, that sounds wonderful," Caroline smiled back at her daughter. "Norman, why don't we leave the children to their training and go have lunch somewhere in town."

Norman turned to his new friends. "Sure, why not? Do you guys want to join us?"

"Thanks for the offer, Norman, but I think I'll stick around with Ash and May," Brock smiled. "I'm more used to their company, anyway."

"Fair enough," Norman smiled at the breeder. "But you'll be coming with us, right, Raine?"

"Well, I think I have to fix something for Cyndi…" Raine started to back up, overwhelmed by the friendliness of the foreign Gym Leader.

"I won't take no for an answer," Norman pushed her along. "It'll be a treat from Caroline and me, thanking you for housing our children for the last few days."

"But, Cyndi-" Raine tried to protest.

"Brock can handle it," Norman smiled as Oak and Mrs. Ketchum followed behind him.

"Now, you two be good to Cyndi," Caroline said to May, using her eyes to say, _We'll talk about this more, later_.

"We will," May sighed, hoping to get off the hook.

Ash stood next to May as they watched the adults walk from view towards Cerulean to find a restaurant to have lunch at.

"That was weird," Ash said to himself. He added, whispering into May's ear, "I hope no one saw what was going on."

"Yeah," May agreed, "I'd be pretty embarrassing if someone saw us almost…you know…" The coordinator blushed, thinking about Ash's lips pressed against hers.

She was torn from her fantasy a moment later. "So what were you two about to do before all the grown ups showed up?" the voice of her younger brother called out from behind the bushes. Max stepped out from the bushed behind the trainers with Cyndi close behind. The boy glared at his sister, with an 'I told you so' look.

"What do they mean?" Brock asked. Ash and May both turned bright red. Pikachu leapt onto his trainer's head, trying to show support for the companions.

"We saw Ash and May about to kiss!" Cyndi shouted. "Right before Corphish saw us sneaking up."

May made a note to thank Corphish later. "Nothing was happening, Max," May played down the situation. "Ash and I where just talking."

"And about to start suckin' each other's faces off," Max taunted. "I hope some girl doesn't warp my mind and start getting me to act all goofy and stuff."

"Why are you being such a jerk, Max?" May picked up her brother by his shirt, lifting him off the ground. "Love isn't as bad as you make it out to be. I feel bad for the first girl who likes you."

"So who do you love if you know it so well?" Max sneered, once again trapping May in the proverbial corner.

What he didn't predict was Ash's defense. "Max, cool it," The trainer snapped at him. "If May tells you something, you should be a good brother and believe her."

"And May's boyfriend leaps to her rescue," Max retorted. "When Dad catches wind of you wanting to play kissey face with May, he's gonna let you have it, so I'd keep it quiet if I where you."

Ash and May stopped and turned red slightly. May dropped her brother to the ground and turned away. Ash also averted his gaze from the boy.

"I mean, that's why you want to beat Misty, right? So Dad doesn't force us to leave Ash, right?" Max asked.

"It doesn't matter what Dad wants, Max," May told him sharply. "We're going to fight to bring Misty back to reality. The only reason we're doing this is because she's still our friend and we don't want her to be angry at us." May composed herself, and looked down her nose at her brother. "And besides, if I wanted to travel with Ash, I wouldn't even let Dad stop me."

Max gasped at his sister's remark. "You think you could get away from Dad? He'd tear Ash apart and tie you to the Gym!"

"Maybe I'd battle him for my freedom," May turned up her nose.

"Don't make me laugh," Max snickered. "You think you could beat Dad?"

"I think she could," Ash stepped in. "May's made a lot of progress as a trainer. She even beat Drew for once! With a little extra training, May could beat his three Gym Pokémon with a combination of Combusken, Munchlax, and either Bulbasaur or Beautifly."

"I don't know what's worse," Max pushed up his glasses, "the fact that May thinks she stands a chance, or that you think she could."

"Hey, if Ash says she can," Cyndi leapt in, "then I bet she could!"

"Three against one, Max," May smirked. "Democracy works again."

Max let out a groan.

"Hey, can we stop the fighting?" Brock stepped in, trying to get them to stop. "How about we go back to the house and I fix some lunch?"

"Sounds good to me," Ash sighed. "I'm hungry."

"So am I! What's on the menu now, Brock?" May smiled, hoping for a good meal.

"We're not even at the door yet, much less the kitchen. We can decide when we arrive," Brock smiled, glad that the fighting was over.

Ash and Brock walked at the head of the group with May, Max and Cyndi trailing a bit behind. Pikachu had decided to lie on May's head, enjoying the girl's bandana. Brock walked next to the Electric-Type's trainer and whispered into his ear. "Did you really try to kiss May?"

Ash blushed and pulled down the brim of his hat over his eyes. "It's not like that, Brock…"

"Then what?" Brock asked. "Max and Cyndi wouldn't get on your case for nothing."

"I was just talking to May about our battle," Ash explained, "and suddenly I felt like I had to get closer and closer to her, and before I knew it, we were two inches apart."

"That, Ash, is what love is all about," Brock smiled at him. "You said you loved May, right?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think I'd be so…" Ash searched for the right word, "…weird, you know. When I'm alone with her, I just can't seem to take my eyes or mind off of her. When we battled, I could focus on that, but afterward, I just lost it."

"I wouldn't worry," Brock patted him on the back. "This is all new for you. Later, when you become more comfortable around May, this'll all be easier."

"I used to be comfortable before I told May," Ash sighed. "Maybe I never should have told her…"

"Don't talk like that, Ash," Brock sternly spoke. "If you really love her, then you have to do what ever you can to make sure she stays with you."

"Heh, I've heard that advice before," Ash smiled. "Thanks, Brock. I'm gonna go talk to May, now." The trainer slowed his walking pace to end up closer to the coordinator.

"Heh," Brock laughed. "Misty must have told him the same thing I told her so long ago."

"So, what are you all talking about over here?" Ash asked, slipping into the group next to May.

"We're trying to figure out what we want for lunch," Cyndi told her idol. "I'm not sure what I want, yet."

"Well, I have a major ramen craving," May smiled. "I just can't seem to get enough of it!"

"You always eat ramen, May," Max accused. "I want a hamburger. Something I can really chew on. None of that ramen stuff. I mean, it's just noodles and flavor."

"Well, I happen to like ramen, Max," May snapped. "It's one of my favorite foods. I happen to like noodles and flavor, and most of the time you can get meat put in it, too."

"Not that instant stuff you always get Brock to make," Max pushed his glasses up along his face. "That's just noodles and flavor."

May turned to Ash, staring into him with her sparkling sapphire eyes. "What do you want, Ash?" she asked him, trying to persuade him with her charms. "Do you want dumb ol' burgers with Max, or some nice hot ramen with me?"

Ash felt his face change colors. He took a step back from the group and pulled his hat over his eyes again. "A-as nice as that sounds, May, I was thinking about having rice balls…"

"That sounds great!" Cyndi jumped up. "Let's go have some rice balls!"

_I really was hoping Cyndi wouldn't take my side like that!_ Ash sighed. He looked over to May's face to see a look of annoyance coming over it. "Maybe Brock will make whatever we want if we ask him nicely enough," The trainer tried to return the smile to May's face. "Then you can have your ramen, Max can have his burger, and Cyndi and I can eat rice balls."

"I would be glad to fix whatever you all want," Brock smiled as he joined the conversation. "But remember that your Pokémon need to eat, too. We'll need to let them all out of their Pokéballs."

"I guess you're right," May smiled, cutely knocking her knuckles against her head. "I just plain ol' forgot."

"So did I," Ash sighed. "And I'm supposed to be the responsible one."

Pikachu, Max and Cyndi all had a good laugh at their friend's expense. The trainers finally came to Cyndi's house, and Brock went straight to the kitchen to cook. He expertly began to prepare all three meals (he had decided to have a burger with Max) for his friends.

Ash and the rest of his friends, however, went outside to feed the Pokémon.

"Alright, everyone, come on out!" He called, tossing his five Pokéballs into the air.

"Let's eat some lunch!" May shouted, lobbing her six into the air.

"C'mon, guys!" Max shouted, tossing Brock's three Pokéballs into the air.

All of the Pokéballs opened, bringing out a total of fourteen Pokémon, who were joined by Pikachu. From Brock's Pokéballs, came a small, tree shaped Pokémon, a larger, blue Pokémon with large orange gills and small orange eyes, and a round, reddish colored bagworm Pokémon. The Pokémon's voices rang out in a chorus, with Aipom holding her tail, still injured from the battle. Feeling guilty, May's Squirtle walked over to her and tried to apologize. The normal type seemed to accept the apology, but still looked at her tail protectively.

"Is that your Pokémon?" Cyndi leapt up at the sight of his fully evolved Grass-Type. "It's so majestic! What's he called?"

"Here, see for yourself," May brought out her yellow Pokédex and flipped it open, pointing it at the large reptilian Pokémon.

The Pokédex whirred for a moment, and then clicked. A picture of Sceptile appeared on the screen. "Sceptile, the Forest Pokémon," the Pokédex's prerecorded voice dictated. "Sceptile is the evolved form of Grovyle. In the jungle, its power is without equal. This Pokémon carefully grows plants and trees. It regulates its body temperature by basking in sunlight."

"That's so cool!" Cyndi leapt up to the Grass-type, flinging herself around his neck. "This is the coolest Pokémon ever!" Sceptile, however, was less accepting of this title and removed the small girl from his neck and sat her down.

The girl caught sight of Aipom and ran over and picked up the small Pokémon. "Aww, it's so cute! Ash has so many cute Pokémon!" she squealed as she hugged the normal type.

May sighed. "Does that mean none of mine are cute?" She looked over at her six Pokémon. "I think Eevee and Skitty are cute. Combusken's cool, too, but in a tough kind of way. Squirtle's cute, but Beautifly's got a kind or radiance about her, and Munchlax…" She looked around for the rogue Pokémon. "Um, where's Munchlax?"

"There he is!" Max shouted. Sure enough, the Big Eater Pokémon had wandered up the street and was walking into the woods.

"Do you want me to help get him back?" Ash asked.

"No, I'll get him back," May turned to Ash. "Just keep my ramen warm, okay?" she winked at him. "Get back here, Munchlax!" May called to her Pokémon. The Normal-type turned his head, seeing her chase behind him, and quickened his gait. He dove into the bushes at the edge of the forest and scurried off.

May followed him in and began to look around the forest. She could hear the sound of a waterfall faintly in the distance. She also smelled a sweet smelling scent. _Munchlax probably caught wind of it back there and was wandering off to investigate_, May thought to herself. She began walking towards the scent, following it. It smelled exquisite. A scent this powerfully alluring would take lots of hard work to create. May found herself following a river as she followed Munchlax. May knew her Pokémon would go to this wonderful smell and see if there was wonderful food at the end of it. She heard the sound of the waterfall come closer as she and her starter walked up the river.

"Hey, cutie! Are you hungry?" she heard a voice ask.

The voice was familiar. May shook her head. _No, it couldn't be. Not out here._

"Munch!" May's Pokémon claimed affirmatively.

_I'm close now,_ May thought, stepping through a line of bushes.

May stepped out from the bushes to find Munchlax, with someone else. "Oh, no…" May gasped, placing her hands over her mouth.

Hand feeding her Pokémon a piece of fried chicken was none other than the Cerulean Gym Leader.

* * *

**Cliffhanger'd!**

**How will Misty greet her sworn rival? Can May stay civil? Or will someone else get involved? The battle for Ash and May's hearts rages on…**

**Just a reminder to try and catch the premier of Battle Frontier later today. The Mystery Dungeon special looks fun, too. **

**Please continue to review, and if you want to speculate on anything that's happening in the story, you can send me a PM. I may even tell you how close your speculation is…**

**I have a pretty good idea on how the rest of the story is gonna play out. I never thought it would get this long when I put up that first chapter so long ago. I've written enough for about two or three fics, I believe. Oh, well. Makes things more interesting right?**

**Let me close by saying how I hope that May is around in the Shino Region.**


	24. Cascade

**How do you all like Battle Frontier? I am pleasantly impressed. The only thing I don't like about it is the abomination they claim is 'music' during the end credits. You know, the former Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon opening. **

**Anyway, May talks to Misty in this chapter. I wonder how far we can get inside her head?**

**Chapter 24, get Pokémon!

* * *

**

"What are you doing here?" the red-haired Gym Leader shouted at May when she looked up from Munchlax.

"I came to get my Pokémon, that's what!" May shouted back. "Munchlax, come over here!"

"Munch!" the giddy Pokémon smiled after swallowing the food Misty fed him. He waddled back from the pink blanket Misty and he were standing on over to his trainer and hugged her legs, hoping for more food.

"If you think you're going to get more food, you're sadly mistaken," she disciplined Munchlax. "You've been a bad boy, Munchlax. Wandering off like that."

"So this is your Pokémon?" Misty said, an annoyed look across her face. "I figured, seeing as to how hungry the poor thing is."

"Munchlax is always hungry," May explained. She reached into her pack and pulled out her trusty Pokéblock case. She popped out a pink Pokéblock and fed it to her Munchlax. The Pokémon swallowed it, then became satisfied, and sat down at May's feet. May looked up at Misty, a smile on her face. "So how was your picnic going?" she timidly asked, fearing the Gym Leader's anger.

"A lot better before you showed up," Misty spat, turning to the waterfall, standing next to her picnic basket.

"Misty…" May tried to get a sentence out, but she just couldn't put the words together.

"Azurill!" Misty called to the water. At her call, the small Normal-Type immerged from the water and hopped up to the dry land.

Munchlax walked over to Azurill and held out his hand in friendship. Smiling, Azurill moved her tail into Munchlax's hand and shook it.

Misty quickly snatched up her Pokémon. "We don't make friends with people like that," she scolded her Pokémon. Azurill put a sad look on her face.

"Why not, Misty?" May asked her. "We used to be friends before Harley talked to you…"

"You know very well why!" Misty spat. "You've been doing horrible things to Ash."

"That's not true, Misty," May calmly responded. "Like Ash said, Harley's been lying to you."

"He showed me proof!" Misty shouted in the coordinator's face. "You couldn't fake a picture like that!"

"That was only an accident…" May sighed. "I didn't mean for Torchic to hurt Ash." She sat down next to Munchlax and ran her finger through the loose dirt at the forest floor. "It was in North Petalburg right before Ash battled my dad for his fifth Gym Badge in Hoenn. A bunch of people egged me on, and I battled Ash's Taillow. I ordered an Ember attack, and Taillow flew out of the way, leaving Ash to get scorched." Looking up, she said, "I've already apologized to him. Can you forgive me, too?"

"No! You're just lying to me, trying to get me to call off the battle!" Misty snapped.

"I understand that you won't believe me," May sighed. A look of surprise settled on the combative Gym Leader. May continued, "and I really don't want to have to battle my friend with such bad blood between us."

"The only reason there's bad blood is because of you," Misty said harshly. "If you hadn't been deceiving everyone, then this entire thing would never have happened."

"Why don't you believe them?" May asked.

"What?" Misty was confused. "Believe who?

"Ash and Brock," May clarified. "They've both told you that I wouldn't do anything like that. Why Harley's word over your two best friends?"

Misty grunted, and turned back to the waterfall; she dipped her bare feet into the water and looked for her reflection in it. "It's not because I don't trust them." Misty sighed. "I really do. And I want to think you're a good person, May." The Gym leader looked up at the sky. "But Ash's hurt. His shoulders are sore. And no one but Harley ever gave me a reason."

"I can tell you what really happened if you want," May said, moving closer to Misty.

"What?" Misty was skeptical. "Did Brock do it?" she mocked the coordinator.

"No," May laughed. "It actually happened trying to save me."

"What?" Misty looked at the girl. "Seriously?"

"A few days ago, after another attack by Team Rocket, Ash and I were falling towards a forest from really high up," May told the story looking into the waterfall, picturing the series of events in her mind. "Ash called out Swellow, and his Pokémon gripped his shoulders tightly in his talons. So tightly, that they punctured the skin." May's eyes began to tear up, but she wiped them off onto her arm.

"So Ash did it to himself?" Misty asked.

May nodded. "When we got out of the lake, I saw that he was bleeding. Having nothing else, I tore my bandana in half and used it to bandage him. That's how it got torn." May placed her hand on her new, green bandana. Thoughts of the caring boy came rushing though her mind. "Thank you for telling Ash to buy me a new one," she told Misty.

The Gym Leader shrugged. "I don't know if I should believe this story you're telling me…"

"I didn't honestly think you would," May sighed. "I just don't want to fight anymore. I want us to be friends again."

"Does that mean you'll tell everyone what you've done to Ash?" Misty asked.

"I can't admit to crimes I haven't committed," May sighed, "so no."

"Then the battle is still on," Misty stood up. She began to pack up her picnic, and let out a giggle.

May turned around to see what she was giggling at.

Munchlax had fallen asleep on his back, and Azurill lay on top of him, also dozing away.

"That's so cute," Misty smiled.

"Misty…" May started. "…is there any other reason that you don't trust me?"

Misty sighed for a moment, bending over to pick up her baby Pokémon. "It just seems so easy for you, May," Misty sighed.

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"I mean, everything you have in the group seems to have been handed to you," Misty explained. "To accomplish your dream, you're able to travel and see new places. You're also very successful at it. You got to the top four in the Kanto Grand Festival. You… you've also won Ash's heart. And it looks so easy for you. And then I think about what I had to do. I had to come up with an excuse to travel. I had to fight tooth and nail to make my Gym successful. And regardless of how much I tried, I couldn't get Ash to like me back… Not in the way I wanted, anyway."

"Misty…" May sighed compassionately. "It's not as easy as you think it is. Training Pokémon for contests is hard work. My Pokémon work hard to compete in the contest battles. I've had to teach them many new moves to keep their appeals fresh, and we practice them all the time. I've also had a lot of people help me along the way, not the least of which are Ash and my rival. I barely beat Drew in the Grand Festival, and I just lost to him again because I haven't been keeping up my training."

"But you still got Ash to fall for you!" Misty grabbed the girl by her shoulders. "How did you do it?" she shook May, rattling the girl's head. She let go of the coordinator after she realized her mistake. "I-I'm sorry, May… I guess I just got a little emotional…"

May collected herself. "I… I never really tried to get Ash to like me. It just kinda happened. I made a wish on the Millennium Comet, to find true love one day. I never finished making the wish, but a few weeks later, I met Drew. But around the same time, I also noticed different things about Ash. Not that'd he been doing anything different, I just saw him in a different light, I guess. Ash would always be supportive of me. We never seemed to fight like I did with Drew. And even when we did, we always ended up apologizing with each other." Smiling, she added, "Sometimes I felt like his girlfriend even before he said he loved me," with a giggle. May closed her eyes and continued to reminisce about Ash. "I'd make fun of his complete obliviousness in the field of love, but I don't think it ever clicked with him at the time. Earlier, the day before I was kidnapped by Team Rocket, Ash told me about the day he started to fall for me. We were on this island with lotsa Donphan, and we got lost in the woods. I even jokingly mentioned that we might end up on the island forever together that day. Ash told me that it all clicked when he saw me crying that day, because Max was lost, and I wouldn't be able to go to the contest. He told me that he wanted me to be happy again. That's how, I guess." May realized that she had been babbling, and got embarresed. "I'm sorry. I guess I just let that all out, eh?"

"You…" Misty couldn't believe it. "You never tried? You never had him ignore your feelings?" Misty got hysterical. "You never stayed up on long nights, wondering when you'd be able to tell him your feelings, only to chicken out in the end, and then beating yourself up because you just made a fool of yourself?"

May pushed herself away from Misty, a look of apprehension on her face. "Hey, chill out!"

"How can you say that when I tried for so long to get him to love me?" Misty shouted.

"Hey, I thought you weren't interested in Ash anymore!" May called her out.

"Who told you that?" Misty snapped back.

"Ash did before you wacked out and got angry with me for no apparent reason," May growled. She took in some deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Well, maybe I'm not interested in Ash anymore…" Misty grunted though clenched teeth, "…and maybe I am. I don't know anymore. What I do know is that as one of his best friends, I should keep him from people who intend to harm him. People like you."

"So are you gonna be protecting Ash by forcing me to leave him?" May glowered. "Are you going to find fault with every girl he finds interest in?"

"Only if they're gonna hurt him!" Misty defended herself.

"Oh? And how many stories are you going to be told before you believe the accuser? Because all it took was one liar to convince you that your friends are conspiring against you," May sternly spoke to the Gym Leader.

"You be quiet!" Misty shouted. "You're only trying to confuse me, like you confused Brock! Ash won't admit it because he's afraid of what people will think about him getting abused by a girl! And Brock doesn't know that this entire thing is going on under his nose!"

"So says Harley, right?" May smirked. "And he's defiantly a reliable source to your best friends."

"Shut up! Quit trying to confuse me!" Misty shouted, her eyes watering.

"Why is it confusing?" May asked, calmer now. "Is it because you want me away from Ash so badly that you can't believe your friends?"

"Shut up!" Misty cried, holding her head in her arms.

May continued talking to Misty, her emotions calm and collected. "You know Ash and Brock probably better than I ever will. And yet, you yourself refuse to believe them when they tell you something. You want to be a part of the gang again, and when you see someone else stealing your role, you get jealous of them. Is that it?"

Misty lurched forward, swinging her arm at the coordinator. "I hate you, May!"

May caught the arm of the tearful Gym Leader. "No," she responded. "You shouldn't hate, Misty." May's expression changed to one of sadness. "When you hate someone, you can never see anything good about them. You get consumed with their faults that you can't see the beauty they have inside. And you never allow yourself to become their friend. When you hold grudges, and hate, it's you cutting yourself off from everyone else, not them cutting themselves off from you." May smiled kindly at the Gym leader. "That's a lesson Ash taught me."

Misty stood there, crying. She reached for her Pokéball and recalled her Azurill. "You…" she choked. "Why you? Why not me? I loved him, and he didn't feel anything for me!"

"Believe me, having guys fall for you isn't all it's cracked up to be," May sighed.

"What do you mean?" Misty cleared her tears.

"There's this other guy I like, and he and Ash both told me that they loved me in the same night," May explained. "I like them both, and I can't put one over the other," she sighed. "They're both so important to me."

"You have two guys!" Misty shouted again, her voice rattled with disbelief. "Not only Ash, but another guy?"

"I know I can only keep one, though," May cried out. "And it's hard to choose between two people you love so much! And everyone seems to be hanging on which I choose!"

"Just take the other guy, then, and avoid all of this trouble," Misty shouted.

"No," May stepped back, standing infront of her sleeping Munchlax. "I'm not going to pick before I know for sure." May glared at Misty. "And besides, you've already brought the trouble. And Harley's just made it double."

"Oh, you did just not compare me to Team Rocket!" Misty glared angrily at May.

May smiled. "There's the Gym Leader." May recalled her sleeping Munchlax. "I'll see you tomorrow, Misty," she called, walking back toward the way she came. "You can let out your frustrations on me in battle."

"Hey, wait!" Misty called to the departing coordinator. "I'm not done yelling at you, yet!" But May had already left. Misty sat down and looked into the pool of water at the base of the falls for a moment. _Is what she said true? Am I just being jealous? Am I cutting myself off from them?_ She shook her head. _No, I can't let her shake me. I've gotta beat her to get Ash to see that he doesn't have to be afraid of her._

"Ash, you should just let it cool off," Max advised the trainer, leaving the room to follow his new friend. Ash stood over the stove, watching May's Ramen. He hadn't eaten his rice balls yet, as he waited for the girl to return to eat her meal. Brock, Max, and Cyndi had already eaten, but Ash wanted to wait. Pikachu followed to boy's lead, leaving his bowl full of Pokémon food and following Ash inside. Ash kept looking into the pot, the stovetop set to low to keep it warm for May at her return. His stomach growled at him, ordering the boy to eat.

Ash shook it off. _I'm gonna wait for May_, he told himself. He began to pace around the kitchen, Pikachu watching him walk around in circles. The mouse Pokémon watched with worry on his face. He hopped on Ash's back, trying to give the trainer some support. "Thanks, Pikachu," Ash smiled at his partner. "But I'm getting worried. Maybe I should have followed her out…"

"Pika!" the Pokémon protested. "Pikapi, Pikachu pika pika chu!"

"I know she'd think that I don't trust her to be out on her own," Ash responded, "but I'd almost rather have her be annoyed with me, rather than having to wait for her to return." Ash looked out the kitchen window. He nodded his head at the sky. "I'm gonna try to find her," Ash said to Pikachu. "You wanna come with me?"

Pikachu obediently slid over to his shoulder. "Pika!" The Pokémon smiled.

"Alright, I knew I could count on you," Ash smiled, rubbing Pikachu's head behind his ears. "But we can't just leave the ramen here. It could burn with no one looking after it." He thought for a moment.

Pikachu leapt to the counter, and pulled a plastic container out of the cabinet. It was an orange bowl with a semi-translucent white snap-on lid. "Pika," he handed it to the human.

"Great idea, Pikachu!" Ash laughed. "We'll take it with us, and we can have a small picnic with her outside."

After containing the ramen, bagging the rice balls, and getting together an assortment of other foodstuffs, the duo stepped out of the kitchen and looked to make sure no one was watching them leave their post. Brock had fallen asleep on the couch watching television, and the sounds of Cyndi and Max could be heard arguing in her room upstairs. Smiling, they snuck out of the room, quietly closing the door behind them. Ash tiptoed through the storefront and snuck out as noiselessly as possible. Pikachu sat on Ash's backpack, hoping that his weight would help hold all the items together without destroying them.

Ash walked to the edge of the forest where they had seen May disappear into. The peered inside as far as they could without stepping inside. Seeing no sign of May yet, they stepped into the bushes. Looking for a land mark they could gauge their travel in the small forest on, they quickly found a river that ran up into the middle of the forest. Given that the ground near rivers is usually clear, Ash and Pikachu decided to travel along it in hopes of finding May. Fortunately for them, May had almost returned by this point. She was also walking by the river, and saw Ash and Pikachu, and ran up to them.

"Hey guys!" May smiled, catching her breath. "It's good to see a friendly face again!"

"I'm glad to see you again, too" Ash laughed. "What do you mean a 'friendly face?'" he asked.

"You'll never believe who I ran into in here," May said, walking with Ash toward drier land than that next to the river.

"Who?" asked the trainer as he led May, without the latter asking where they were going.

"Misty was here!" May exclaimed.

Ash almost jumped out of his skin. "Misty?" he gulped. "Did she try to battle you?"

May shook her head. "No, I think the only Pokémon there were my Munchlax and her Azurill. We talked for a while though."

"Really?" Ash asked. "About what?"

May's stomach growled quite loudly. "I'd like tell you, Ash, but I'm too hungry to tell stories right now."

Ash laughed as he set down his backpack in the small clearing they were in. "Well, I thought we could have a picnic, since you were out here, anyway," the trainer smiled at May. He pulled out the bowl he had contained the ramen and handed it to May. He took out his carefully wrapped rice balls and handed them to Pikachu. He also uncapped the container to Pikachu's Pokémon food and placed it where the Pokémon could get it.

"Is this my ramen?" May asked meekly.

Ash nodded. "Pikachu and I kept it warm for you, just like you asked. Pi-"

"I love you, Ash!" She blurted out, hugging him. Both Ash and herself realized what she said and blushed brightly. May held him a moment longer before she released him. "I mean, I love the ramen you brought me," she covered for herself, running her hand through her hair. "Thank you."

Ash, stuttering, replied, "N-no p-problem, May." He shook off the embarrassment. "I wanted to make sure you got what you wanted," he added, taking the rice balls back from Pikachu.

"You haven't eaten yet, either?" May asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"No," Ash said rather plainly. "I was waiting for you to come back before I ate. I eventually got too worried about you, and Pikachu and I came looking for you. So when we came to look for you, we decided to make it a picnic."

May smiled as she sat down next to him and took a pair of chopsticks out of her pack. She popped off the lid to see her piping hot ramen looking back at her.

"Thank you for this little picnic, Ash," May smiled at him. "It's very sweet of you."

"Well, I don't know about that," Ash modestly blushed.

"Don't be so modest, Ash," May playfully nudged him.

"Well, let's eat," Ash smiled, grabbing a rice ball and chomping down on it.

May slurped up some of her ramen, looking over at Ash, watching him eat. She pulled a few noodles into her chopsticks and was struck with inspiration. As Ash opened his mouth to take another bite of rice ball, May barged her ramen noodles into his mouth. Surprised, Ash opened his eyes to see May's face almost directly in front of his. He slurped the noodles from May's chopsticks and looked into her sapphire eyes, and her cherry lips. Shaking his mind from that subject, Ash held his rice ball up to May's mouth, prompting the coordinator to take a bite. Ash smiled as she cutely chewed so close to him. His eyes kept being drawn to her lips. _Why am I looking at those?_ he pondered to himself.

Before things got too much more serious, May backed off and took her place next to Ash again. The two laughed out loud together.

"So, May," Ash tried to start a conversation, "what did you talk to Misty about?"

"Oh, stupid stuff," May tried to ignore the subject. "Do we have to talk about it now?" She leaned her head on Ash's shoulder and nuzzled the top of her head against the side of his face.

Ash smiled. "No," he said. He placed his arm around May's shoulders and held her there, next to him. "No, I guess we don't."

* * *

**And so, another chapter comes to a close. Are there still some unanswered questions? Don't worry, chapter 25 (Pika, Pika!) is already underway.**

**If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm going with a Tuesday-Friday update schedule. That allows me time for college stuffs, and lots a time for you guys to read the current chapter. Some of you might think this is too slow. I, honestly, believe it is too fast. As it was said, Rome wasn't built in a day. Or with a couple as cute as Ash and May.**

**I read in my Obligatory Freshman Class Textbook™ that having a goal increases your self-esteem. Well, I have a goal in writing fan fiction, as of now. And I feel a lot better about myself (not to say I had a negative self image to begin with). I hope to continue for a while. I hope this is done before September ends, but I can't help it if it drags into October. I'd like to continue to some other projects, so I can write more Advanceshipping.**

**Lots of you seem to be worried about when the final battle will occur. I can't give a specific chapter, but do know that it will happen. I can't resolve the plot without this major event, can I?**

**Not if I claim to be a good writer.**

**Continue to review, and send any questions/comments to me via PM! You guys/girls are great!**

**Until next time, Everyone, Get Pokémon!**


	25. Charity

**I guess I'll break the news, incase you haven't heard yet. May has been removed from the cast as of the Diamond/Pearl Anime. The news kind of made me sad, but I'm going to keep on going. I mean, Pokeshippers have held on, so why can't we?**

**Enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

**

"That was fun!" May smiled, as she placed the empty bowl in Ash's backpack.

"I agree," Ash smiled back at the happy girl. "I'm kinda glad no one was watching us from the bushes like earlier today." Ash folded up the blue cloth used to wrap the rice balls and placed it in his backpack, as well.

"I still kinda wish I didn't back down from that, though," May eyed him sheepishly.

"From what?" Ash asked, oblivious to the situation.

"Oh, you know," May walked up to him and grabbed his hand to jog his memory, "we were about this far apart…" She pulled herself and the boy close together. Ash could feel May's chest pressed against his own. "…and you could feel my breath on your face…" she cooed. Ash felt his face light up. "…and I could tell you were looking at my lips…" she whispered sweetly, licking them.

"I-I was going to-I mean, Pikachu!" Ash turned to his partner to avoid facing the girl any longer. "Are you awake, buddy?"

Pikachu had not stirred from the slumber he had begun when Ash had gotten May to talk about what she and Misty talked about during their picnic.

"Oh, come on, Ash," May playfully slapped his back, "I was just kidding around!"

"Easy for you to say…" Ash grumbled.

"What was that?" May looked suggestively at Ash.

"I mean…" Ash was stuck. He had to let it out, now. "I… guess… I wanted… to kiss… you… a little…"

"Oh really?" May smiled, blushing.

"Just a little!" Ash protested. "None of that tongue stuff!"

"Ash, knowing about deep kissing?" May raised her eyebrow. "Will wonders not cease?"

Ash blushed. "I… I saw some people on TV doing it a few weeks back, and I…"

"Go on," May nudged him, a giant smile having grown across her face.

"…I… I thought about doing that…" Ash muttered, barely audible.

"With who?" May giggled. She was having a ball.

Ash, however, wanted to curl up into a ball. He didn't, however, and somehow managed to get out, "…with you…"

May hugged Ash tightly from the side. "That's so cute, Ashy," she smiled.

"You… You don't think I'm weird?" Ash gulped, looking at the coordinator.

"Nu-uh," May grinned. She ran her hand through his black hair, knocking off his hat. "As a matter of fact, we could right now, if you wanted…"

Ash turned deep red and backed out of May's embrace. He quickly picked up his hat and shoved it on over his head. "N-no…" he mumbled.

"Oh?" May peered into his eyes from under his hat. "I thought you wanted to?"

"The mood's not right," the boy grunted, turning from her again.

"And what would be the perfect mood to kiss me in, hm?" May smiled. _This is gonna be good_, she thought.

"I… I guess…" Ash turned on his imagination, "we'd be standing on top of the Battle Pyramid…"

"The Battle Pyramid?" May sounded displeased. "I think your imagination's broke."

"Hear me out!" Ash pleaded, before he realized that he was pleading to tell May about a fantasy. He had already said it, though, so he decided to continue. "It'd be night. All the stars would be out, and from being so high up, we'd be able to see all the lights in the city below. So, it'd kinda be like there's a sky on both sides. I'd be showing off my final Frontier Symbol to you, and we'd talk about how far we had come since we met all the way back in Hoenn. I'd tell you that I'd never have gotten this far without you, and you'd think it's all sweet and stuff, and then…" Ash gulped, "…I'd kiss your hand."

"Just my hand?" May was surprised.

"Y-yeah…" Ash looked over at Pikachu, silently pleading for him to wake up. "This is a stupid story, anyway," Ash tried to dismiss the entire thing, "why don't we get back to Cyndi's? Everyone's probably waiting for us."

"Well, even though we probably should get back," May said, walking over to Pikachu, "I didn't think your story was bad. I thought it was kinda cute. I like how you'd be a gentleman about it and not kiss my face without me making a move, first." She picked up the dozing Pokémon and held him in her arms, forcing Ash to eye her instead of his stalwart Electric-Type. "Let's walk back, and you can tell me more as we walk."

"Fine," Ash submitted. They began retracing their steps back to Cyndi's house. Ash remained silent as they walked.

May grew concerned. _I hope I didn't hurt his feelings trying to get him to talk to me about love and stuff,_ she thought. She worked up the courage to break the silence. "Ash…?" May asked, walking next to him, taking his hand in hers.

"What is it, May?" he asked.

"I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable back there," she smiled at him. "I know I was prying, and you didn't really want to talk about it. And all I did was embarrass you."

He squeezed May's hand. "It's alright. I know you're into that romantic stuff. I guess I'm not really that good at it."

"You better than you think you are…" she said, resting her head on Ash's shoulder as they walked. "I thought the part about a sky on both sides was pretty romantic."

Ash felt himself blush. He looked down to the girl at his side. Her eyes looked intently at the path ahead of them. She held his most trusted partner in one of her arms, and in her opposite hand was his. His eyes moved to the green bandana he had bought for her. It was lovingly tied around her head, possibly even more so than her previous red one. Ash felt himself swell up with pride that he and May had become so close. He was afraid of trying to kiss her, afraid that he'd be trying to rush the relationship too quickly and end up destroying it. He also knew, that after they kissed for the first time, there would be no going to back to being 'just friends.' Because of this, the trainer restrained himself from kissing the girl at the top of her head, something he wanted to do. Instead, he made himself content with what they had together at the moment.

_I feel kinda weird,_ Ash thought to himself. _I mean, not bad weird. A good weird. It's like…_ he thought for a moment. _It's like how I feel about my Pokémon… some kind of caring that extends further than plain old friendship. I want to care for her. I mean, I care about people like Brock, but I don't want to make it my duty to care for him. But it's different with May. I want to care for her. I want to bring her ramen like I did earlier. I want to help her win her contests. I want to see her smile. Her happiness makes me happy. I want her to stay with me and Pikachu forever. I… I really do love her…_

"Are you okay, Ash?" May looked up at him. "You haven't been paying much attention to the path, and you've kinda been staring at me for a bit."

"Oh, I was just thinking," Ash smiled, turning his gaze back to the path.

"Oh really?" May asked him. "May I asked about what?"

"It's nothing, really," Ash shook his head as they stepped out of the bushes.

"C'mon, tell me!" May cutely begged, squeezing Ash's hand as they both ran down the road.

"I don't have to," Ash smiled, stopping close to the door.

"But I want you to," May laughed.

Ash turned the door knob and stepped inside. Max and Cyndi looked up from the toys they were playing with to see the two enter.

"Hey, guys!" May smiled. "What are you two doing in here?"

"Us?" Max asked, annoyed. "What are you two doing holding hands?"

Ash and May looked at their hands, each with their's tightly gripping the other's. They quickly fumbled their hands loose and turned away from each other. "We're not doing anything, Max," May smiled, still holding a napping Pikachu.

"You two have been gone for a while…" Cyndi raised an eyebrow.

"I bet they were kissin' each other and stuff," Max laughed.

"'Oh, Ash, I love you!'" Cyndi mimed the coordinator.

"'Oh, May, let's kiss alone in the forest away from everyone!'" Max mimicked the trainer. They both burst into laughter.

Ash didn't find it to be a very laughable matter. "Hey, May and I haven't kissed yet! So don't go saying we've done stuff that we haven't!"

Max pushed up his glasses. "So you haven't 'yet', right?" he smirked. Laughing, he added, "When's the wedding?"

Ash tried to defend himself, but he continued to stumble over his own words.

Luckily, May knew how to handle her brother. "That's big talk coming from someone who's been hanging around Cyndi a lot recently," she smirked back.

"What do you mean by that!" both the children exclaimed.

May had him where she wanted him. "'Oh, Max, let's practice kissing!'" she stood in front of Ash and leaned her head against his chest and looked up into his eyes.

Ash wrapped one of his arms around May, and used the other to mime pushing up glasses. "'Practice? Why not kiss for real?'" They broke the mock-embrace and snickered.

"Hey!" both of the children began to blush. "That's not fair, or accurate!"

"C'mon, Ash," May smiled, "let's leave these love birds alone."

"Yeah, I'd hate to interrupt their kissing," Ash laughed as they both stepped into the other room, closing the door behind them.

"We're not in love!" Max and Cyndi shouted in unison.

Ash and May saw Brock watching television on the couch. The breeder looked up. "Hey, I'm glad you two are back," he smiled. "Max and Cyndi have been bothering me with their 'Ash and May are kissing' talk. I finally got them to leave me alone not too long ago."

"We're sorry, Brock," Ash sighed. "We didn't mean to leave you high and dry like that."

_We?_ May thought.

The breeder shook his head. "It's cool, don't worry about it."

"Is there anything good on?" May asked, sitting down next to the breeder. Ash followed her and sat at her side.

Brock looked over at the two. "Not really… mostly junk, a few animes and infomercials." Brock looked over to Ash and saw the boy's arms laying across the top of the couch behind the lad. Brock motioned with his eyebrows to him, to try to tell him to place his arm around May.

Ash saw Brock's motioning and quickly realized what the breeder was trying to get him to do. Thinking himself smooth, he let out a large, false yawm and draped his hand over May's shoulders. May's eyes looked over to see Ash smiling at the television, knowing full well what he was doing, but not letting the girl know he knew. May giggled at the boy, and snuggled closer to him, allowing his arm to hang off her shoulder and his fingers to rest on her upper arm.

Brock smiled. _If I can't find love for myself,_ the breeder sighed happily, _the least I can do is help other people's love grow._

A huge slam erupted from the front room. Pikachu leapt up and tumbled to the floor. Ash, May, and Brock all stood up and rushed to the door, with the mouse Pokémon leaping to Ash's shoulder. Before the humans could open it, however, it slammed open, revealing Norman as he stepped inside the room followed by his wife, and Ash's mom.

Ash's thoughts immediately turned to his imminent demise. Norman was going to turn him inside out and nail the body outside the Petalburg Gym as an example of what happens when you get cozy with a Gym Leader's daughter.

However, his premature funeral was halted when Professor Oak carried Raine in on his back.

"Mom, Dad?" May asked as they all approached the couch. "What happened to Raine?"

"We ran into trouble on out way home…" Norman began. Oak laid the woman down, her left eye black. Even though she was in pain, she still cracked a grin.

"Mom!" Cyndi ran into the room and to her mother's side. "What happened?"

"On our way home," Norman explained. "we ran into the Nurse Joy of Cerulean City."

Ash, May, Max, Brock, and Cyndi all let out a gasp.

"_Well, if it isn't little miss upstart!" Joy spat at Raine as she and the entourage passed by the Pokémon Center. "Don't have you're precious Officer Jenny to save you, do you?"_

_The normally timid Raine stood her ground. "You're the one who called the police last time," she shot back, "and you're also the one who trash talked to a girl who's not even ten years old!"_

"_I can't stand you, you skank!" Joy growled. "If you didn't have a gang with, I'd take you on right now!"_

_Oak, Norman, Caroline, and Delia all blinked at being implicated as a gang._

"_Why are you letting that stop you?" Raine taunted. The fist of the Pokémon Nurse hurtled into her eye, knocking her off her feet._

_Norman began to step forward, buy Raine held up her arm for him to stay back. She lunged at Joy and threw a powerful punch into her stomach. The winded nurse dropped to her knees and caught her breath, and then leapt on top of the mother. A flurry of hair pulling, punching, slapping, and wrestling ensued with the nurse getting the rawer end of most of the action. Raine managed to roll Joy face to the ground. The mother sat on the nurse's back, and used her arms to put her opponent into a choke hold. The nurse's face began to turn red, then blue. _

_Before any further damage could be done, Norman stepped in and pulled Raine off the Nurse. "It's over, you've won," Norman tried to calm the raging woman._

_Raine caught her breath and calmed down. "You don't have much fight in you, do you?" she smirked at Joy._

_The nurse's face had begun to return to their regular color. She coughed for a moment, and then looked up at Raine from her crouched position. "If you didn't have that stupid store, you wouldn't have been able get these friends of yours to save you," she curse._

"_I don't think I needed any help to kick your butt," Raine glared, a smile on her face. _

"_Well, if that's the case," Joy smiled, "how about we make a wager?"_

"_Depends," Raine looked serious. "What are the terms?"_

"_The battle between you daughter's idol and the Cerulean Gym Leader is tomorrow, right?" Joy asked. "How about, if the boy wins, I'll trade Center duties with Joseph."_

"_Sounds good," Raine smiled, "but what if the Gym Leader wins?"_

"_You'll have to sell that crumby store of yours and get out of town!" Joy exclaimed. "And take that punk kid of yours with you."_

_Raine smiled and held out her hand. "I think we have a deal," she said._

_Norman, Caroline, Delia, and Oak all gasped._

_Joy shook the hand of her adversary. "Good. It'll be great to never have to see you again."_

"_Really?" Raine smirked. "I was thinking the same thing. It'll be good to have Joseph closer to home."_

_Joy stepped back and walked into the Pokémon Center. Raine smiled a bit, and then fainted. Delia rushed behind her and caught her as she fell. Oak offered to carry her back to the house so she could rest. The group helped place the woman onto the professor's back and the began to rush back to Raine's house._

"Mom, I can't believe you!" Cyndi shouted to her newly conscious mother. "You're gambling our future on a Pokémon Battle?" The girl burst into tears and ran up to her room.

"Cyndi, wait!" Max shouted, following the girl before getting cut off from her room by a slammed door.

"This is my chance to get her out of my hair, once and for all," Raine said, sitting up. "That cousin of Joe's has been harassing my family ever since we came here." She looked down at her lap. "I know Cyndi's upset, but I knew that this was our chance. Even if we have to leave town, at least we'll never have to see that Joy again."

Ash and May looked at each other, and then to the ground. Raine looked up to them as Pikachu let out a discouraged coo. "I'm sorry that I've put even more pressure on you than you already have in the coming battle."

"Raine," Delia came over to her and placed her hand on the other mother's shoulder, "I think you need to talk to Cyndi about this. You need to show her your confidence."

Raine nodded and stood up, teetering slightly. She hobbled over to the stairs. Brock moved over and helped her up the stairs to find Max sitting with his back to the door. Brock led the small child downstairs as Raine knocked on the door.

"Cyndi," Raine called.

"Go away!" the girl shouted.

"Please let me in," Raine calmly stated. She heard the girl get off her bed and walk over to the door and unlock it. Raine opened the door and stepped inside to find her daughter already back in bed. Her eyes were red from her crying. The girl sniffed audibly, looking at her mother like one would look at someone who has pushed them down.

"It's alright, Cyndi," Raine said, sitting next to her daughter on her bed.

"It's not alright!" Cyndi cried. "I know we've almost lost the house in the past, and you've somehow held onto it during all this time, because you love it so much! And now, you're going to let Aunt Joy take it if Misty beats Ash?"

"Cyndi!" Raine gasped. "I'm surprised at you! I thought you were the one who was always saying that Ash could never lose!"

Cyndi sniffed. "It…it's not Ash I'm worried about losing. It's May," she admitted.

"I see," Raine rubbed the young one's back. The girl placed her head in her mother's lap. "If you know Ash can win, then you should have faith in his decisions."

Cyndi looked up. "What do you mean?"

"If Ash didn't think they stood a chance," Raine explained, "I don't think he would have joined forces with May. And even if he didn't think he could win, Ash would fight anyway, and find victory even against the most difficult odds."

Cyndi smiled at the thought of her idol. "I… I believe in him…"

"Can you believe in May?" Raine asked, stroking her daughter's hair.

"I… I guess so…" Cyndi looked at her carpet.

"Then you don't need to worry anymore. And besides, won't you like having Daddy around more often?" Raine smiled.

"Yeah!" Cyndi jumped up. "Skarmory and I can play together more!"

"That's my girl," Raine smiled. "Now let's go back downstairs and rejoin everyone."

When Raine and Cyndi returned downstairs, the mood had returned to a calm one. Norman, Caroline, Oak and Delia sat around the room, discussing each of their homes. Max had joined Ash and May outside, playing with Ash's Noctowl that Oak had brought with him. Brock sat out there with them, coddling his small, tree shaped Pokémon. Cyndi headed outside to join with the other children.

"We sent them outside when you went upstairs," Oak began as soon as Cyndi closed the door. "And we heard Cyndi shouting from upstairs." The professor sat up, "Are you having financial problems, Raine?"

Raine sat down in a small chair opposite the couch that Delia and Oak sat on. "I really didn't want to bring you all into this," she muttered.

"Hey, we're friends," Norman gleefully smiled. "We're supposed to help!"

"I hardly know you people…" Raine looked down into her lap. "… and already you're willing to help me?"

"Of course!" Delia smiled. "You've helped our little ones along, especially after that nasty Nurse Joy sent them packing. You're a good friend, now!"

"Yeah, but I don't want any hand outs," Raine sighed. "I don't want to be a charity case…"

"Then we've just got to find a way to use this publicity from the battle and turn it to our advantage," Oak thought out load, his hand moving to his chin.

"We could pass out flyers at the battle," Caroline suggested.

"Before we count our chickens, though," Norman mentioned, "if Ash and May don't win the battle, there won't be a store to advertise for."

The group all sighed.

"Hey, I believe in them," Norman smiled. "As long as Ash and May support each other in battle, I'm sure they'll win."

"Hey, Delia, why don't we have a talk in the kitchen?" Caroline smiled at the mother from Pallet.

Delia smiled back. "Sure, we can talk while we fix dinner!" The two women stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"Now that sounds like a good idea," Norman joked. "I'm going to go see how the children are doing." He got up and left the room.

Oak began to stand up, but heard his arthritis crack. "I think I'll just see what's happening on the television," he sighed.

Raine sat there, wondering how her life got so complicated just by advertising in a phone book.

* * *

**Poor Raine. She didn't ask for any of this to happen, but now it seems like her life is out of her control. Caroline and Delia are gonna talk about something. I wonder what? Norman seems confidant. Oak… is just old.**

**Yeah, I'm kinda bummed that May's gone. Probably moreso because I liked her as a character than because of Advanceshipping. But she can still appear. And I'm gonna stay an Advanceshipper forever. Even if the 'canon' goes up in my face, so to speak, this is a cute couple and I'm gonna support it.**


	26. Control

**Here's chapter 26 for you guys. Let's enjoy it. Like a Family.**

* * *

Caroline and Delia both went over to the cabinet that contained some foodstuffs. As Delia pulled out some packages of noodles, Caroline whispered to her, "You know, right?" 

"Of course," Delia responded, not taking her eyes off of the meal she was beginning to prepare. "Mother's intuition and all."

"What do you think?" Caroline asked, gathering the pots and pans necessary to fix the meal.

"I think it's adorable," Delia smiled. "Ash has never shown interest in girls before. I was almost worried that he'd swing the other way."

"Well," Caroline began to voice her concern, "I'm a bit worried. Aren't you concerned about them traveling without any supervision? They might start to experiment with things…"

"It's not like they'll be completely unsupervised," Delia reminded her. "Brock is always with them, and they wouldn't try anything in front of May's little brother."

"I suppose you're right," Caroline smiled. "May gets awfully shy about her own love life."

"I wonder if they've told each other, yet?" Delia giggled. She placed the noodles in the pot of boiling water.

"No, there's another boy May likes, as well as Ash," Caroline began crushing tomatoes for a sauce.

"Really?" Delia blinked. "Well, I bet he's nothing compared to my Ash."

"Well, this boy has been giving May roses as they've met during their travels," Caroline defended the green haired coordinator.

"Ash is a perfect gentleman," Delia replied. "He may not be the most romantically minded, but he tries to be as sweet and kind as possible."

"I wonder which she'll end up picking…" Caroline whispered to herself.

* * *

Norman walked outside with his eyes to the sky. Ash's Noctowl flew silently across the sky before landing obediently on the trainer's arm.

"Your Noctowl's such a pretty color, Ash," May smiled, reaching her hands toward it. Noctowl opened his wings to allow the coordinator to rub his belly. May rubbed his soft feathers and smiled as the Owl Pokémon let out a long, relaxed hoot.

"It's also rather small for a Noctowl," Norman commented, stepping to the trainers.

"Oh, hi, Daddy," May smiled, stepping back.

"Yeah, when I caught him, the scientist who was researching him said he was small for a Noctowl," Ash said, rubbing the chin of his Flying-Type. "His psychic powers help me win one of my Johto Gym Badges," he told the powerful Gym Leader.

"You certainly are lucky to own such a rare Pokémon," Norman commented. "It's not ordinary to see a Pokémon look radically different from the rest of it's species in that region."

"I guess so," Ash sighed, "but I think luckier things have happened to me." May and Pikachu walked over to Max and Cyndi and started to play tag with them.

"Really?" Norman asked. "Like what?"

"Well, I've made lotsa friends in my journey," Ash explained. "I've met all kinds of trainers, and Pokémon. But the one I'm most thankful for the chance to have met is May."

"Now, why do you say that?" Norman asked, laughing slightly.

"When I met May, she was a lot like I was when I started as a trainer," Ash looked at her. "I had some more experienced trainers look over me as I started, and I was glad to be able to give part of that back. Being May's mentor has helped me learn a lot about myself. I've learned about things I don't think anyone else could have shown me…" He blushed as his thought ended, his mind growing clouded by thoughts of the girl he loved.

"Like what?" Norman asked him, completely unaware of the boy's feelings.

Ash gulped. "Well, she's shown me some cool new battle techniques that I'd never have come up with myself," he laughed, hoping he was believable.

Norman didn't seem the wiser. "Well, it seems that the student has taught the master, now hasn't it?" he cracked.

"Ye-yeah," Ash stuttered.

"I'm glad May and Max have someone like you to look up to," Norman told the boy. "You've been a great influence on May, in particular. She never really liked Pokémon as a child, and now I see her having fun and loving them, and I don't know how to thank you."

_Not killing me when I tell you I love her would be a start_, he thought. "Don't worry about it. I love May-" he slipped. "I mean, having her around!" he quickly started to laugh a loud, false laugh.

"Yes, of course," Norman laughed as well, ignoring the boy's Freudian slip.

"I didn't expect the Petalburg Gym Leader to be here," they heard a voice come from behind them. Ash, Norman, and Noctowl all turned their heads to see May's rival standing behind them.

"And you are…?" Norman asked the green haired stranger.

"Oh, we've never met, have we?" Drew smiled as he walked up to May's father. "I'm Drew, one of May's friends," he added bowing respectfully.

"Oh, you're the boy that beat May in the Hoenn Grand Festival, aren't you?" Norman recognized him.

Drew gulped. "Y-y-yeah?"

"I'm glad May has made so many friends on her journey," Norman laughed. Drew gave a sigh of relief.

May had noticed who had arrived and ran over to meet him. "Hey, Drew! What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you," Drew smiled, beckoning her to follow him. The two coordinators walked to the other side of the building away from Ash, Norman and the children.

In his heart, Ash felt a stabbing pain as the dagger of jealousy entered his heart.

"So why did we come over here?" May asked Drew when they were out of Norman's sight.

"I wanted to invite you on a moonlight picnic," Drew smiled. "I've already got everything ready, so all you have to do is come with me, if you want."

"That sounds wonderful, Drew," May giggled. "Sure, I'll come with you, just let me get my Pokéballs-"

"Oh, you won't need those," Drew waved off her concern. "It'll be safe. Trust me."

"Okay, then," May smiled. "Let's go." She felt slightly guilty about leaving Ash and her father, but she wanted to spend some time with Drew to help her make her decision. In the bushes behind the coordinators, two ears twitched to what they heard.

"Pikapi!" Ash's partner called to the boy who was making small talk with Norman.

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked him. Pikachu ran back to where he heard the conversation. Norman walked over to talk to his son and Ash followed his Pokémon with Noctowl flying silently behind.

Pikachu flipped his ears snobbishly. "Pikachu, pi pika pikachu pika pi?" He then pulled his ears down to the sides of his head. "Chaa, pika, Chuu, Pika pikachu!"

Ash felt his face turn as pale as a sheet. "You… you're joking?"

Pikachu leapt to his trainer's shoulder, trying to console him. Ash felt tears returning. _Why does it hurt this time?_ he wondered. _Why does it matter to me that she's going with stupid Drew on a picnic?_ He kicked the ground at his feet, fighting back the tears. His Noctowl landed on his opposite shoulder, hooting quietly.

Ash rubbed his eye to dispel the tears that had formed and had a flash of inspiration. "Noctowl, can you go follow May for me?" Pikachu and the owl Pokémon gasped at the request. "I don't mean to sabotage the entire thing, but to watch her. I… I really love her, guys." He started to shake from his own words. "I don't want Drew to do anything bad to her. If I can't be there in person, then can't I ask my Pokémon to watch over her in my place?"

Noctowl nodded and began to fly after May and Drew on his soft, silent wings. Ash silently thanked his Pokémon as he and Pikachu turned to walk back to the house to await May's return, or word from Noctowl.

Suddenly, a long, sticky string wrapped around Pikachu and ripped him from his trainer's back. "Pikachu!" Ash shouted, reaching for his friend. His partner flew into the dark bushes as he heard something running off. "Team Rocket, get back here!" Ash shouted, running after his Pokémon. He leapt into the bushes after his best friend's captor.

* * *

"This is wonderful, Drew," May smiled as they came to the picnic site. Drew had laid out a pink blanket onto the ground and had bowls and plates of food set up around them. She sat down, with Drew settling next to her. She reached for a cookie and began to munch happily on it.

"I'm glad you like it," Drew smiled. He grabbed himself half a sandwich that he had set in the bowl and began to eat. He wrapped his free arm around May's waist and tugged her closer.

May didn't seem to notice, as she reached for a rice ball and took a bite. Thoughts of the small picnic she and Ash shared earlier that day fled into her mind. She placed it down, not wanting to eat anything that reminded her of the boy she had left.

"Are you not hungry?" Drew whispered, concerned.

"No, it's not that," May sighed, "I just already had a rice ball today, and I just happened to forget."

* * *

Ash ran thought the forest at the small creature that had captured Pikachu. Pikachu's cheeks where covered in the sticky string, so he couldn't use any electric attacks. Ash reached for a Pokéball at his belt. "Donphan," he shouted, tossing the ball, "Stop them with Rollout!"

In a flash of light, Ash's ground-type appeared. Donphan rolled up into a wheel and began speeding at the fleeing kidnapper. Donphan connected with a crash, sending Pikachu flying into the air. "Swellow," Ash reached for another Pokémon, "grab Pikachu!"

His Hoenn Flying-type leapt into action and grabbed Pikachu in his talons. Thankfully, the sticky string kept Pikachu's skin safe from any scratches.

"Ari…" Ash heard come from where Donphan was standing triumphant. He took his Pokédex from his pocket and pointed it to the mysterious creature.

The Pokédex whirred for a moment before it displayed a picture on its LCD screen. "Ariados," it played the recorded message, "the Long Leg Pokémon. The evolved form of Spinarak, Its feet are tipped with tiny hooked claws that enable it to scuttle on ceilings and vertical walls. It constricts its foe with thin and strong silk webbing."

"Team Rocket doesn't have an Ariados…" Ash thought. Just then, from Ariados' end, came a large spray of the sticky thread. Ash found himself suspended in the air with Swellow and Pikachu circling overhead. Donphan turned to his trainer and began charging at him to break him free. "No, don't!" Ash cried. "You'll just get stuck, too!" Donphan stopped and looked sadly at his trainer. Ariados started to scuttle off.

"Sandstorm!" He heard a familiar voice call. A small Pokémon flung her arms around, creating a sandstorm to stop Ariados in his tracks.

"Cut the twerp free with Poison Tail, Seviper!" a woman shouted. The Fang Snake Pokémon followed his orders and cut the threads holding Ash with his glowing tail.

"It's you guys!" Ash shouted.

"Prepare for trouble, our rep's at stake!" the woman shouted.

"And make it double, this is your mistake!" the man with her added.

"An evil as old as the galaxy!" The motto got under way.

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!" it continued.

"Plus, der's me!" a Pokémon shouted.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love," The woman struck a dramatic pose.

"To extend our reach to the stars above," the man mimicked her. A small Pokémon on his shoulder mimicked him.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"And Meowth are da names!"

"Anywhere there's peace in the universe…" Jessie stood next to her fellow members.

"…Team Rocket…" the male half of the duo stood tall.

"…will be dere…" Meowth cried from their feet.

"…to make everything worse!"

"Wobbuffet!" the blobby blue Pokémon announced.

"Mime, mime!" James' small Pokémon grinned.

"What are you guys doing saving me?" Ash asked the normally evil team.

"We won't have some nobody steal Pikachu under our noses!" Jessie shouted.

"We're here to save it so we can steal it later!" Meowth snapped.

"Cacnea!" James' Pokémon pointed in a direction.

"Ariados is gettin' away!" Meowth shouted. "We've gotta tail it to figure out who was trying to upstage us!" Ash and Team Rocket chased after Ariados. Ash recalled Donphan and Swellow as they ran, allowing Meowth to use his claws to free Ash's Electric-Type from the string.

Ariados ran up a tree to hide, but it couldn't run fast enough. Meowth identified the tree he saw the Long Leg Pokémon was hiding in.

Suddenly, two other Pokémon leapt from the tree. A tall, green Pokémon with sharp yellow eyes leered at them, while its shorter partner seemed as dark as the night's sky. Its appearance was accentuated with its red, glowing eyes.

"Cacturne… Banette…" Ash thought, "and Ariados… these are all Harley's Pokémon! May's in trouble!"

"Go, twerp!" Jessie ordered. Her Seviper stood poised for attack, hissing at Harley's Pokémon.

"We'll take care of this here!" James agreed. "We've seen how much you care for the girl-twerp. If she's in trouble, then go save her!" As his Mime Jr. agreed, his Cacnea stood ready to combat the Ghost-Type and her evolved form.

"That's right!" Meowth shouted.

"But… Why?" Ash asked as he was about to run past the tree.

"We denounce the evils of truth and love, not their good qualities," Jessie smiled. "If we can help love, then I think it's worth it."

"Team Rocket…" Ash smiled… "Thanks. You guys aren't as bad as you all seem sometimes." He nodded to Pikachu, and they raced off into the darkness.

"Let's do this!" Jessie shouted. "Let's show Harley what true villains are made of!"

* * *

"Thanks for the meal, Drew," May smiled.

The male coordinator was still having problems understanding how such a young girl could eat so much food, but he dismissed the thought. "You're welcome, May," he smiled. He reached into his pocket. "I actually got you something, too."

"Oh?" May looked at him as he pulled out a small perfume bottle. "You got me some perfume?"

"I made you this perfume myself," Drew smiled, handing her the bottle. "I used Roselia's Sweet Scent and liquefied it into a perfume. Just for you."

"Really? That's so sweet of you, Drew," May smiled as she sprayed it on her wrist to learn how it smelled. "It smells… heavenly… and somewhat familiar at the same time… Thank you, Drew."

"Don't mention it," he smiled, acting coolly.

* * *

Ash continued to dash through the forest. "Can you hear anybody, Pikachu?" he asked his partner. Pikachu twitched his ears, listening for anyone who might be around. Suddenly, a large Pokémon buzzed over their heads. He landed in front of them, his green body ready for combat. He flashed his scythe-like arms in the dim moonlight.

"Scyther!" The Pokémon challenged.

Ash took a step towards it, reaching for Sceptile, but Pikachu stopped him, and a swift, narrow shot of water shot just short of the tip of his nose.

"Tracey, come out and fight me instead of being a coward!" Ash called to where the water had come from.

The Pokémon Watcher stood out of the bushes, his small, blue Water-type bounding out as well. "I'm sorry it came to this, Ash…" he cringed, looking away from his friend. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you give me no choice. Scyther, attack Pikachu with Slash! Marill, stop him if him tries to move with Water Gun." Tracey's Pokémon began to surround Ash and Pikachu in the darkness

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Sparks flew from his partner's cheeks, and flew at Marill. The Water-Type was flung backwards into the arms of his trainer. Pikachu leapt up and countered Slash with an Iron Tail. "Why are you helping Harley, Tracey?"

"Harley said that if I help him and Misty defeat you and May, I might have a chance with her," Tracey explained, laughing at himself with a slightly maniacal tone. "And I'm following your advice to do everything in my power to get together with her."

Ash smirked. "Alright, but I'm not letting you hold me back."

"That's what you think!" Tracy smirked back. "Scyther, Double Team!"

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. Before the mantis Pokémon could even begin his maneuver, Pikachu had already connected with his strike at the Bug-Flying type's midsection. "Sideline it with Iron Tail!" Pikachu flipped in the air, smacking Scyther against a tree with his attack. "Later, Tracey!" Ash shouted as he and Pikachu ran past them.

"I tried my best," the Watcher sighed. "I can't do any more than that."

* * *

"Do you like it?" Drew asked as May stood up and sprayed herself with the perfume.

"It's the most wonderful scent I've ever smelled!" May giggled. "But I can't help but feel that it's a bit familiar…"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Drew smiled. He stood up to face the girl and walked up close to her.

"But-" she started before Drew cut her off with a kiss on her lips. May felt her heart start to beat out of her chest. Drew opened his mouth and slid his tongue into May's. May opened her mouth to allow Drew the full range of motion. Drew moved his hands around her body. One of them began to rest on her end, while the other slid up her blouse and began to unclasp her bra from the back.

May tried to break it off, but the hand Drew held her rear with held her close to him. She tried to force him out of her mouth, so she could ask what he was doing, but he gave her no chance. Drew squeezed May's rear, and tears began to fall from her eyes. She bit Drew's tongue in a desperate bid to escape.

"Yeaowch!" Drew shouted, backing away form May. "What was that for?"

"'What was that for?' You have the gall to ask me that with what you were doing?" May shouted at him, tears in her eyes. "What do you think you were doing?"

"It's alright, May" he whispered, "This is gonna be fine…"

"No, it's not gonna be fine!" May stepped back. "You touched me in places that you shouldn't have!"

Drew approached her and placed his hand on the side of her face. "Don't tell me you didn't like that," he smiled, his face coming closer to May's.

A loud snap is heard though the forest as May's hand came across his face. "Is this why you didn't want me to bring my Pokémon? So that I wouldn't be able to protect myself?"

"Hey, I didn't bring mine, either," Drew said, trying to calm her down while nursing his injured cheek.

The smell of the perfume entered May's nose again. It finally clicked where she had smelled it before. She looked down at the pink blanket and the picnic basket. Her face filled with horror. "You… you were in the forest earlier today, luring me here, weren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Drew asked.

"Munchlax caught a whiff of this earlier today, and followed it," May told him, "He followed it to Misty!"

"I was trying to lure you here, that's true. But when he got far enough in, Munchlax must have smelled Misty's chicken and ran after that when he got far enough into the forest to smell it," Drew explained. "He never got close enough to me for me to tempt him closer."

"So you were planning on this earlier? You were gonna harass me earlier?" May was afraid for herself now. She had no Pokémon to fend off any attacks that Drew might attempt against her.

"I was just going to give you the perfume," Drew explained himself.

"Then why the picnic, now? From the looks of this, you've borrowed all this stuff from Misty," she continued. "What's going on here?"

"Harley approached me, and offered to help me set up this picnic with you this afternoon, after my lure to give you the perfume failed," he said. "I didn't trust him at first, but he said that he'd seen you hanging out with Ash more than usual. I… I got jealous, and I wanted to show him up. I wanted you to be more impressed with me than him."

"So, this entire thing was just so you can be more impressive than Ash?" May's voice was racked with disbelief. "I can't believe you could be so shallow!" She began to walk away from him.

"May, wait-" he tried to get her back.

"I thought I could trust you," her eyes filled with tears. "You don't even know the meaning of truth!" She began to cry as she ran away from the picnic site.

"Damn," Drew said to himself. "This entire thing's bust. I should just find all my Pokémon and go."

A watching owl Pokémon began to fly away silently. The coordinator sat down on his blanket and didn't take notice of it at all.

* * *

**Things are becoming increasingly more complicated. The main plot will be decided soon, with the final battle coming soon after.**

**I hope you all enjoy reading this story as much as I have had writing it. I'll admit, I found it difficult to write after I learned that May wasn't going to Shino, but I'm back in the saddle, now. The Advanceshippers at Serebii can be pretty inspiring.**

**I hope you all have good luck in the future! And watch for the next installment!**

**Until then, Everyone, get Pokémon!**


	27. Chosen

**A Long Chapter, featuring all the major players is about to begin. Some things get resolved, others become much less clear. Please review/question/comment, if you'd like to.

* * *

**

"Psst… Hey… come here…" A voice called from around the corner. Max sat up from the game he was playing with Cyndi when he recognized the voice.

"Who is it? Where're you going?" the girl asked her new friend.

"Just stay here," Max assured her. "I'll handle this alone."

Max stepped around the corner, preparing himself for what he had to face.

He and Cyndi were playing games by themselves since May and Pikachu disappeared. Norman had gone inside, smelling the delicious food. Max was just about to let Cyndi win so they could go eat, when the familiar voice wafted around the corner of the building. Max immediately recognized it. He knew that if anyone else knew she was here, they'd freak.

"What are you doing here, Misty?" Max asked her concealed in the dark.

"I was wondering if you could go find Ash for me," the Gym Leader smiled.

"Why should I? I heard how bad you treated my sister!" the boy retorted.

"I don't really want to get into that, now," Misty sighed. "I just wanted to talk to him and wish him luck tomorrow. Maybe even bridge the gap a little…"

"What's with the change of heart, Misty?" Max asked her. "From what I understood Ash, May and Brock telling everyone, you're fired up over this entire thing."

"I was- I mean, I am," Misty caught herself. She sat down next to Max. "Truth is, I'm not so sure anymore. I talked to May today-"

"When did you talk to May?" he asked, full of questions as always.

"When her Munchlax got away from her, he found me and my picnic," Misty laughed. "I fed the poor thing, seeing it act so hungry, but then your sister came up, and we talked."

"Did you fight?" Max asked.

"Of course," Misty sighed. "But she said some things that have just stuck in my mind, you know?"

The words of the coordinator echoed through her head. _You know Ash and Brock probably better than I ever will. And yet, you yourself refuse to believe them when they tell you something._ Misty cringed at the memory. _You want to be a part of the gang again, and when you see someone else stealing your role, you get jealous of them. Is that it?_

The most painful of all, however, was after she had tried to strike the coordinator. _You shouldn't hate, Misty. When you hate someone, you can never see anything good about them. You get consumed with their faults that you can't see the beauty they have inside. And you never allow yourself to become their friend. When you hold grudges, and hate, it's you cutting yourself off from everyone else, not them cutting themselves off from you. That's a lesson Ash taught me._

"Misty?" Max asked the Gym Leader. "Are you okay?

"…I'll be fine," she smiled at the boy. "But can I please talk to Ash?"

"Well you're out of luck, 'cuz Ash, May and Pikachu all disappeared recently after Drew came by," Max explained. "They're probably training or something."

"Really?" Misty asked. "Who's Drew?"

"May's rival," Max told her. "He's been helping them train for the battle tomorrow."

"Hey, Max," Cyndi walked around the corner. "What's going-YOU!" She shouted at Misty.

"Um… hello?" Misty smiled.

"You bitch!" Cyndi shouted, throwing her arms at Misty. The Gym Leader held her hand out, holding the small girl back. "You're the worst! What are you even doing here?"

Max came up behind Cyndi and restrained the girl. "Whoa, what's wrong with you?"

"I have every reason to hate Misty!" Cyndi growled at the Gym leader. "After she beat Ash in the Whirl Cup, she thought she'd humiliate him again by harassing him and your sister and then getting it televised when she beats them! Well, I've got news for you! Ash and May are gonna clean your clock!"

Misty bowed her head. "Max, let her go," she whispered.

Max did as she requested, and the girl stood there, growling at her.

"I understand that you're angry with me," Misty said. "I'm just trying to do what I think is right. You may thank me after this is all over." She took in a deep breath, and continued. "But most of all, don't hate anyone. That just causes divides between you and them, and if you cling to that hate for too long, then you'll never be able to be friends with them."

Cyndi stopped being angry and became ashamed of herself. She recognized the words that Misty had said. She sat on the ground and sighed. "I… I didn't mean that I really hated you…" she said. "It's just…"

"I know what you mean," Misty sighed. "It's so easy to get caught up with who's your opponent that you forget that they're not really your enemy. That's why I came to talk to Ash tonight. I wanted to try to convince him to come clean one more time, so we could just be friends again."

"But that would require him selling May out," Max pointed out. "Ash wouldn't do that to any of his friends, especially one he has a crush on. He probably wants to battle because he sees it as the only way to reunite everyone as friends instead."

"But I have to beat Ash and May!" Misty argued. "May's been doing horrible things to him!"

"I'm not going to argue with you, Misty," Max turned away from her and helped Cyndi to her feet. "You've already decided what the facts are, and no one, not Ash, Brock, May, or myself is gonna be able to convince you otherwise." Misty's earlier vigor fell short at the child's observation. "This battle is inevitable, Misty. The only thing you can do is battle as hard as you can for what you believe in. Ash and May are going to, and you won't stand a chance against them if you don't believe in yourself."

"You're right, Max," Misty stood up. "I shouldn't have come here. I should believe in my judgments. But what If I judge wrong?"

"Then don't be a baby about it, and admit that you were wrong!" Cyndi shouted. "Throwing a temper fit doesn't prove anything!"

Misty nodded. "Thanks, guys. I'll give this battle everything I have. I know you all don't believe me, but when I beat Ash tomorrow, then you'll all see!"

Max smiled at her and nodded. "Well, we'll see if you can beat Ash this time. He's gotten a lot better since the Whirl Cup!"

The Cerulean Gym Leader turned and began to walk away, her confidence in herself restored.

"I'm Cyndi!" she heard the small girl behind her shout. "I'm the number one fan of Ash Ketchum! And I know for a fact that he won't lose to you again! And when I become a trainer, I'm gonna beat you, too and win a Cascade Badge!"

Misty faced her again. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Cyndi. I'll be as hard on you in our battle as I am going to be on Ash tomorrow." And with that, Ash's former traveling companion dashed back to the Gym.

* * *

"Where could she be?" Ash grunted through clinched teeth. He couldn't tell in the darkness if he and Pikachu were making any headway or not. Pikachu kept his ears perked up, listening for any people or Pokémon.

"Pika!" he shouted, his cheeks becoming bright with sparks.

A familiar Dark-Type Pokémon stepped out of the bushes to face them. "Ab…" Drew's Pokémon growled.

"Absol?" Ash thought out loud. "Don't tell me…"

"Sol!" The Dark-Type signaled. Ash turned around, hearing rustling coming from nearby bushes. At that moment, four more Pokémon leapt from the bushes. Roselia, Flygon, Butterfree, and Masquerain all came out, launching themselves at Ash and Pikachu.

The trainer and Pokémon duo leapt out of each other's way. All five Pokémon began closing in on Pikachu. "Pikachu!" the boy shouted, fearing for his best friend. Ash knew he had to even the odds. He began picking Pokéballs off of his belt, making sure to avoid Corphish, who needed his strength for tomorrow's big battle. "Let's even the odds, guys," he shouted, tossing four of his Pokéballs into the air. In a flash, Sceptile, Donphan, Swellow, and Aipom all stood behind Drew's Pokémon.

"Let's divide and conquer!" Ash shouted. Pikachu smiled and nodded. He launched into a Quick Attack, knocking Roselia away from the rest of his party. Absol, annoyed with the retaliation he was seeing, formed a Razor Wind and sent it flying in Pikachu's direction.

Leaping to his ally's aid, Sceptile jumped between the attack and Pikachu. Holding up his arms, he used his Leaf Blades to block the incoming attack. Struggling against it only slightly, Sceptile deflected the attack from Pikachu and himself. Feeling confident, the forest Pokémon smirked at Absol. "Tile…." he challenged, placing a twig in his mouth.

Absol's gaze narrowed, annoyed at the overgrown gecko. He began charging at him, fury burning in his eyes. "Ab-Sol!" the Disaster Pokémon leapt into battle with him, his tail glowing, but his focus clear.

Flygon hovered above, watching the exchange. His eyes, quickly darting about from behind the red lenses, focused on Roselia's target. He began his silent decent to face Pikachu, but before he could strike or anyone could warn the small Electric Pokémon, a sharp pain began coursing through his back. Flygon flipped around to see that Ash's Swallow Pokémon had taken a free shot at him while he was distracted. He angrily shot a stream of fire from his mouth, but the fire disintegrated only an illusion.

"Swee!" the Flying type taunted. Becoming furious with the Norma-Flying type's games, Flygon dove at Swellow, just barely missing him as Swellow flew higher into the air. He again tried to roast the Swallow Pokémon, but once again, the fire simply shot though what was only an illusion. Swellow continued to taunt Flygon as he chased after him into the inky black sky.

Aipom stood around, looking for an opponent as the battles got underway. Masquerain saw this opportunity to sneak up on the small Pokémon. He darted quickly infront of the Long Tail Pokémon and scared her with the intimidating patterns on his wings. Aipom, becoming embarrassed and flustered at the Bug-Flying type's trick, leapt onto his face and began to slap him from all sides with her small hands and tail.

Donphan quickly realized that he and Butterfree were the only two without opponents. He tromped up to the mysterious Bug Pokémon.

"Du-oh!" he trumpeted, challenging his opponent.

"Free…" Butterfree sighed. "Free-ree…"

Donphan began stomping the ground. "Doo!" he complained. "Doo-uh!"

"Free…" Butterfree sighed again. He flew backwards a few feet and halted. "Free… freee-er." The battle lines drawn, Ash's Pokémon stood ready to begin.

Knowing he no longer held the advantages of surprise and back up, Roselia glowered at his rival. "Rose…" he growled, puffs of a yellow spore shooting threatingly.

"Pika…" he responded. Sparks showered from his cheeks. "Pi Chuu pikaka Pikapika, pikachu pika…"

"Roselia," he shot back. "Roselia Sell rosel roselia." He began to chuckle. "Se rose roselia Roselia rose Selroselia rose rose."

Pikachu smacked him across the face with Iron Tail for speaking about May in such a way. "Pika! Pikapika pikachu!"

Roselia smirked and began to stand his ground. "Rose…" he smirked. This battle was going to be interesting.

* * *

Tears slid down her face as she ran. _Why would he do such a thing?_ she pleaded to know. _I trusted him, and he touched me! If I didn't get out of there soon, I'm not sure what he could have tried to do to me._ The coordinator didn't know where she was fleeing to. All she knew was that she had to run. Get away from Drew. Get as far away from him as she could.

* * *

"Roselia?" Drew called, walking around near blindly. "Absol? Flygon? Where did they go?" he walked. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to Harley."

_Drew stepped out of the bushes after he realized that May's Munchlax had become sidetracked. His Roselia walked beside him, worn out from using Sweet Scent to lure in Munchlax. _

"_Oh, hey Drew!" Harley smiled, walking up to him._

"_What do you want?" Drew asked the older coordinator, clearly annoyed with him before the conversation began._

"_Oh, I was just walking through the woods, and who did I see but our sweet, little, old May!" Harley giggled._

"_Cut the crap, Harley," Drew turned away from him. "What's this about?"_

"_Oh, I was just thinking about your interests, Drew-boy," Harley smiled, waving off any suspicion. "And I know you have a very special interest in our friend, May!"_

_Drew blushed. "May told me about you manipulating Misty," he said. "That's pretty underhanded of you, turning friends against each other like that."_

"_I'm just giving Misty the support she wants. Deep down, she's always wanted a reason to hate May," Harley smiled. "Misty hates her because she sees all sorts of lost opportunity that May has taken from her."_

"_So how does this affect me?" Drew snapped._

"_Oh, I was just in the woods, minding my own business, and I saw our May in there having a-" he stopped. "Oh, you probably don't even care, do you?"_

"_What do you mean?" Drew became interested. "What was she having?"_

"_She was having a little picnic with her good friend Ash, of course!" Harley smiled, brushing it off as if was yesterday's news. He knew that Drew would get jealous._

"_Just a picnic?" The coordinator was hardly impressed._

"_Oh?" Harley was puzzled. "Let me set the stage for you, Drew-boy! May and Ash were about this far apart…" he held his thumb and fore finger about one inch apart, "… and it looked like they were sharing food. It wouldn't surprise me if they shared something more, if you know what I mean," he winked at Drew. The coordinator's face became flushed, and an upset expression settled on his face. _Mission Accomplished_, Harley thought to himself. "Oh, don't tell me you're jealous of Ash? That guy? He's so clueless when it comes to anything May's interested in, I wouldn't worry about it!"_

"_Then how come they were eating out of each other's hands in the forest!" Drew shouted._

"_Oh, I hadn't thought of it like that," Harley put a surprised look on. "Do you think they'll start dating?"_

"_Not if I can help it…" Drew grumbled._

_Harley smirked. "I like you, Drew," he said. "What do you say about me helping you?"_

"_What's the catch?" Drew asked, knowing Harley was trying to get the better of him._

_Harley shook his head. "Harley doesn't play tricks, Drew," he grinned. "All I'll need is for you to use your Pokémon to set an ambush for Ash in the forest. After all, if he loves May as much as you do, then he's gonna come and try to break up your romantic moments, right?"_

_Drew remembered when Ash barreled into the clearing earlier that day, stopping him from stealing a kiss from May. "And this is no trick?" Drew asked, still skeptical, but willing to cooperate to get together with May._

"_Cross my heart," the purple haired coordinator smiled. "Do we have a deal?" he held out his hand._

"_Deal," Drew smiled, shaking the outstretched limb._

Drew groaned. It was abundantly clear now that Harley had used his jealousy to blind his judgment. The coordinator was ready to call it a day after his fumbled attempt to curry May's favor. He just had to find his Pokémon before they got into trouble.

* * *

Sceptile crossed blades with Absol. The force of the Forest Pokémon's attacks knocked the Dark-Type further backwards. Absol couldn't find the time to ready Razor Wind under the constant attacks of Sceptile, so he tried to force him back with Water Pulse. The Grass-Type stood his ground, the Water-Type strike not being very effective against him.

Swellow's Wing Attack wasn't effective against Flygon's Steel Wing, so the Swallow Pokémon had to adopt a different approach. In the darkness of the sky, Swellow surrounded Flygon with Double Team. Flygon retaliated with Flamethrower, swinging it through the illusions. Before it could find the real one, however, Swellow struck Flygon in the back with a powerful Aerial Ace.

Donphan was at a greater disadvantage in his battle. Being stuck on the ground while his opponent flew above him was his greatest disadvantage in this encounter. The Armor Pokémon emitted a glow, trying to strike Butterfree down with it. The Butterfly Pokémon, however, used his Psychic powers to grab the aura and return it to Donphan. Ash's Ground-Type opened his mouth and launched a powerful orange beam of highly concentrated energy at Butterfree. The beam cut through the aura as if it wasn't there at all, slamming into the Bug-Flying type before he could dodge. Taking the opportunity, Donphan curled up and began rolling towards Butterfree. Drew's Pokémon sat up and blew the Ground-Type back with his wings, knocking Donphan onto his side.

If Donphan was at a great disadvantage, then Aipom was losing. The Normal-Type still hadn't recovered from the battle with Squirtle that morning, and Masquerain was using the opportunity to get vengeance on her for the loss Drew suffered due to Baton Pass. After shaking her off by darting around with Quick Attack, he began his offensive. Masquerain's Hidden Power shot at the Normal-Type, but Aipom managed to evade the strike with Double Team. Her illusions were quickly dispelled by Silver Wind as Masquerain began combing through the copies. Aipom decided to take a chance and fired a Swift. Her tail injury, however, caused the stars to fall short of their target, only alerting Masquerain of her location. Attempting to come in with a close range Focus Punch became her undoing as Drew's intimidating Pokémon shot her down with an Ice Beam, freezing her tail in a chunk of ice. Aipom found herself unable to move with her encumbered tail and was at the Bug Pokémon's mercy.

Pikachu faced off against Roselia, each bearing part of a grudge. Roselia's Magical Leaf was cut off by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Stun Spore was dodged with Agility, which was halted with Petal Dance, which was blocked with Iron Tail. The two Pokémon seemed evenly matched. Pikachu growled at Roselia, who stared through the darkness at his adversary. Pikachu began darting to and fro, trying to disorient the Grass-Type, but Roselia, turned to him and began to shoot Magical Leaf. The mouse Pokémon summoned a massive Thunder from deep within himself, burning the leaves to a crisp before they even came into contact with him.

Somewhere in the airspace above the forest, a Flying Pokémon saw the thunder, recognized it, and approached the battle field.

Drew stepped into the fray, hearing his Pokémon battling some unseen attackers. Glowing yellow seeds flew in his direction at high velocity.

"Watch out!" a voice called, tackling him to the ground.

Drew opened his eyes to see who had saved him. "Ash!" he almost snarled.

"Drew?" Ash was concerned. "What are you're Pokémon doing here attacking people?"

The Coordinator stood up. "They're here to stop you from getting to May, that's what!" he spat.

"What have you done to her?" Ash growled. "Where is she if she's not with you?"

"She's run off to the woods somewhere, and I'm looking for her," Drew answered. "And I see my Pokémon found their opponents."

All of the Pokémon battling halted. Flygon landed behind Drew, and Swellow flapped his wings just in front of Ash. "She ran away from you? "

"She just needs to get to know me better, that's all," Drew flipped his hair. "Things were going too fast for her. I'm sure she'll be better this time…"

"What do you mean, 'too fast for her?" Ash's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand," Drew sneered. "I mean, she's been kissed by me twice. What have you done? Some crummy food delivering?"

Ash's hands clinched. All of his Pokémon, sensing his anger, growled at Drew and his ensemble. "You must have done something really rotten to get her to run away from you…" Ash growled. "If she doesn't want to be with you, then you have no right to force her to be."

"Oh yeah? And who's gonna stop me, you? That's never gonna happen!" Drew shouted. "Get your Pokémon in line! We're having it out right here."

* * *

May found herself at the waterfall she and Misty had talked near earlier that day. Her eyes seemed to have run out of tears as she collapsed to the ground. She breathed in heavily, having a shortness of breath after running and crying all the way here.

As she sat there, the familiar smell of the perfume that Drew had given her wafted into her nose. _Ugh, this… this stench!_ May screamed in her mind. She reached into her pocket and tossed the small vial into the waterfall.

She sat there for a moment, and the scent returned. _I feel like it's choking me!_, she gagged, _I can't stand this anymore! His stench is all over me! It's all over my clothes! I've gotta get away from it!_ May began tearing at her blouse, desperately trying to separate herself from Drew. The fowl smell had soaked into clothes, tying her to the boy who had defiled her trust and invaded her person. She ripped her blouse in half and tossed it into the water. The bra that the boy had touched with his hands, in an attempt to undress her himself hung from her shoulders. In a fit of rage and tears, she sent it into the waters. A quick sniff of her nose revealed to her that the horrifying smell was still on her, emanating from her lap. She ripped her skirt in half, tears again flowing. The smell had gone even though her skirt into her shorts, both of which were removed and pitched into the swift current of the waterfall. She began to untie her headband, but she took a moment to smell it. Somehow, in the blitz of her spraying, none of the perfume had touched the green bandana Ash had gotten for her. She cried into it, thinking of the boy who had watched over her from day one of her journey. She thought about how she thought she had betrayed him, leaving to go with Drew. She sat there in only her underwear, feeling sad, vulnerable, and alone. "I… I should never have gone off with Drew alone…" she sobbed. "Ash… please… save me…"

* * *

Ash shook his head and held up four Pokéballs. "Everyone, return." Four beams of red light shot out, each hitting and recalling one of Ash's Pokémon. Pikachu looked back at the boy, confused. "You, too, Pikachu." The Electric-type nodded, and leapt to Ash's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked. "I'm challenging you to a battle!"

"Well, challenge denied," Ash said. "Don't you see, Drew? We've already had this battle. We can't decide for May who she wants and who she doesn't. It's her choice, and we have to respect her."

"I do respect her!" Drew snapped back, losing his cool.

"Then why did she run away from you?" the trainer glared back into his emerald eyes.

"I… I didn't mean to…" Drew tried to explain.

"It's too late for excuses, Drew," Ash responded. "What's done is done."

Drew backed down. Roselia walked over to his trainer and tugged at his pants. "Rose?" the Thorn Pokémon asked.

Drew picked him up. "You're right, Ash," he sighed. "I just can't believe I lost."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"May doesn't want to see me," he said reluctantly. "Not after what I did…" He began, one by one, sending his Pokémon back into their Pokéballs, with the exception of Roselia.

"What did you do?" Ash asked, his voice becoming agitated. "Where did she go?"

"I wish I knew," Drew sighed. "But I know that if she sees me, all that it'd do is upset her. Go to her, Ash. She needs someone." Feeling himself loosing composure, he turned from the trainer and Pikachu, "M-maybe someday, she'll forgive me. B-b-but now, I've gotta go." He began walking away from Ash, but he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Drew…" Ash said with compassion in his voice, "I don't know what you did to May, or what I'll feel about you after she tells me, but if you are truly sorry, then I'm sure she'll forgive you, someday."

"Thank you, Ash," Drew sobbed, not letting the trainer see him so upset. "Take care… of May for me." He broke away from Ash and began running through the forest, his shame and guilt following him closer than any shadow.

"I can't do that, Drew," Ash said to himself. "I'll take care of May, because it's what I want. And if she's willing, then I'll take care of her for as long as I physically can." He felt a drop land on his nose. The trainer looked up and saw the sky had clouded up over his head during his talk with Drew. He began to walk away from the clearing he was in when a sharp hooting came into Ash's ears, causing him to turn around. He turned to see his Noctowl there, flapping his wings. "Hey, Noctowl! Am I glad to see you! Can you help us find May before the rain gets too bad?"

Noctowl nodded, leading Ash to the river he and Pikachu had traveled part way up earlier that day. The dark sky blew a threatening wind through the trees. Ash heard a sobbing in the distance, piercing the steady drizzle that had started. Fearing the worst, he began running ahead of Noctowl, chasing the sound of crying. He stopped short when lightning bolt lit up the sky. Ash could tell that May was just beyond the next set of bushes. Ash turned to Pikachu and said "I think I can handle this from here. Why don't you go back to Cyndi's house and let everyone know we're alright. I'll bring back May by myself, I promise." The mouse Pokémon, understanding, leapt to Noctowl. The pair flew above the treetops back to Cyndi's to alleviate the worry that both of their mothers must be in at this moment, their children caught in the storm. Ash gathered his courage and stepped closer to the pitiful sound coming from up ahead.

He came to the clearing, and what he saw broke his heart.

May laid there in the mud, sobbing fitfully into her bandana. Her body, lit palely from the sheet lightning that illuminated the sky from time to time, was dirty all over. As the rain fell, her skin became visible; it became quickly apparent that the only thing she wore was her underwear. Her lovely hair was in tangles and soaking up the rain, her beautiful voice cracking from the stress it had been put under through the moaning and sobbing. "Help me…" she cried to herself, lying in the puddle. "Help me, Ash… I… I can't do this anymore… I'm scared… I don't know who I can trust anymore… First Misty, now Drew… who's next… please Ash, I need you to protect me…"

"May?" he called to her, his voice unsure and worried.

The girl looked up from her keepsake, her sapphire eyes ringed in red. Ash couldn't tell if the droplets on her face were from the rain, or if they were her tears. "A-Ash?" she asked, not believing that he was really here, after pleading so fervently that he would find her.

Ash walked closer to her. May leapt at him, the mentor catching his protégé in his arms, the force knocking his hat to the ground. May began to sob once again. "It was horrible. Drew… he… he tried…"

"Shh…" Ash quieted her, "it's gonna be alright. I'm here. You don't have to be afraid anymore." He backed himself against a tree to try to get as much out of the rain, continuing to give the girl shelter.

May sobbed into his sweatshirt, the comfortable warmth of a loved one soothing her, in a cold world that seemed to be devoid of compassion at this moment. "Drew touched me, Ash…" she whispered, still frightened.

"You're alright, May," Ash tried to comfort her. "Drew's not gonna touch you, anymore." He ran his fingers though her tangled locks, trying to straighten it out to the familiar style he associated with her.

"He tried to get undress me, Ash…" she whispered into his sweatshirt. A loud thunder boomed above them and she squeezed his chest for comfort in the storm.

"I'm here, May," he reassured her, placing her head on his shoulder. "No one is going to try to undress you."

"I felt like he was choking me with this perfume of his," she looked up into his eyes, sniffling, the rain continuing to run down her face.

"You don't have to worry," Ash smiled back at her, his dark hair matting to the sides of his face. "Drew's perfume isn't gonna be anywhere near here."

"Ash… I…" May smiled back at him, blushing.

"I love you, May," Ash said to the girl in his arms.

"I love you, too, Ash," she responded, nuzzling his chest with her muddy hair. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and pulled his down to meet hers.

Ash felt May press her lips against his. His eyes widened at the surprise that he was handed. He felt May's soft, tender lips against his own, and felt himself being overcome with love for this girl. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling envelop him even in the turbulent weather. He felt his mouth slowly open as May's did, but their tongues remained still. They held their open mouths together, sharing each other's breath. May tasted Ash's sweet breath in her mouth, and felt as though the intrusion made by Drew had been healed. Her heart began to beat heavily as she wrapped her arms around her beloved. She held him there, not wanting to break the kiss. Ash didn't seem to mind, as he held the girl close as well, his hands against her bare back. The rest of the world and it's problems; the storm, the battle with Misty, Ash's Battle Frontier Challenge, what May's parents would think of her falling in love with her mentor. It all seemed to disappear for that moment, in which they were just a man and woman in love with each other, and wanted nothing to come between them.

It seemed like the moment lasted for hours, but May eventually broke off to breathe fresh air. She rested her head against Ash's shoulder, and the boy rested his head on May's opposite shoulder as he leaned his back against the tree.

She looked up into his auburn eyes again. "Thanks… again, for being a place for me to cry… Ash Ketchum…"

"Anytime, May," he smiled into her sparkling sapphire eyes. Her held her there and turned to her hair. He smelled the dirt in it, but it also held the same familiar scent it held all those days ago when she had cried on him back in the Pokémon Center. He kissed her hair, tasting the dirt on his lips.

"C'mon," he said, "let's get you a nice warm shower. I'm sure you'll feel better after that." He looked around the muddy ground as water began to pool in it. "Um… where are your clothes?"

May sniffed. "I… I tossed them into the river," she said, backing from him, covering her exposed breasts with her arms. "Drew's perfume-

Ash took off his sweatshirt and handed it to her. "Don't worry about explaining yourself. Please, just put this on," he requested. "You've been though a lot tonight."

May took it from his hand and turned away form him as she pulled it over her head, as to not expose herself again to him. She turned back to him to see him bending over, picking up his hat that had partially sunken into the mud. She looked down at his feet to see where she had dropped her bandana while they embraced. She pulled it out of the muddy water and tied it around her hair again. She didn't care if it was dirty and wet. It was from Ash, and that fact alone made it one of the most precious things she had. She held onto his arm as he placed his hat back on his head. He turned to her, and held they held each other in their arms again, feeling their breathing, their warmth, and their heartbeats in the windy, frightening storm. Ash took the girl by the hand and began to lead her back to the house, not sure how anyone would interpret the events that had just unfolded.


	28. Clarity

**Hey, if anyone found chapters 26 and 27 hard to follow, I went back in and added nice shiny break lines to divide up the scenes. I also went and expanded some of the battle scenes in 27. Because that chapter is one of the most importiant in the entire story. There shouldn't be many jarring transistions today or Friday, so there might not be any worry there.**

**Can you think of a place where a transitional bar thing might be helpful? If so, you can PM me with the chapter number and location.**

**Anyway, let's get moving into the next chapter.

* * *

Delia sat at the table, twirling her spaghetti with her fork. "Do you see anything yet?" She asked half-heartedly.**

"No, Delia," Oak sighed, looking into the storm from the kitchen window.

"I'm worried, Professor," Delia sighed. "It's not like him to just up an vanish without telling anyone."

"I'm sure he's alright," the Professor tried to comfort her. "He's been on the road for a long time. He'll come back, after all, there is that battle tomorrow."

"But what makes me more worried is that May's gone, too," She said, depressed. "I know he likes her, and he's a growing boy, and you know how boys are with their hormones."

"Now you're just looking for things to worry about," Oak placed his hand on her shoulder. "Ash is an honest young man, and you've raised him to be very respectful. I'm sure whatever's going on, he's doing the responsible thing."

"But now it's storming," she sighed. "I hope he's doing alright."

In the living room, Cyndi and Max sat on the couch with Norman between them. Caroline paced the room, shooting glances outside into the storm for a hint of Ash or May.

"Caroline, what are you pacing for?" Norman asked her, looking up from the television.

"It-It's nothing, dear" she lied. She knew May wouldn't speak to her for weeks if she let her secret slip. The woman kept looking at the rain.

"I wonder where Ash and May are," the Gym Leader thought out loud. "It isn't like May to miss a meal."

"They're probably-" Cyndi started before Max elbowed her sharply in the side.

"-probably working on a battle strategy," Max laughed. He whispered in the girl's ear, "Are you trying to get Ash killed?"

"What do you mean?" Cyndi whispered back.

"My dad is able to crush a cell phone in his bare hands. Think about that power on Ash's neck," the boy warned.

Cyndi gulped. "I guess we need to keep this a secret, then, huh?"

* * *

Raine sat quietly sewing in the storefront. Suddenly, she heard a knocking from the front door that caused her to jump. She stopped sewing and walked over to the door. She opened it to find Pikachu and Noctowl sitting on the front step. The Pokémon entered the building and shook the water from their bodies. Pikachu ran to the door to the living area, and began pawing at it. Raine opened the door and followed the Electric-Type in, as Noctowl flew into the room and landed in the far corner.

"Pikachu!" Max shouted, running to him. "You're back! That means Ash is back, too!"

"Ash is back?" Delia stuck her head into the living room. Oak followed her in as Raine closed the door to the storefront.

"Pika…" he sighed.

"Then where is he?" Max asked the Pokémon.

Pikachu pointed out the window to the forest, as the tree branches swayed in the storm.

"They're in the woods?" Caroline asked.

Norman leapt to his feet. "Let's go get them out of there," he rallied the adults. "This storm is getting severe. We can't let them stay outside."

"Pika!" the small Pokémon defied them. Sparks shot out of his cheeks, a stern expression across his face.

Oak walked up the Pokémon. "Now why don't you want us to go looking for them?"

"Pikapi pika pi chu Pikachu pikachu pikapika pikapi pika," he explained as well as he could.

"I see…" Oak's gaze narrowed.

"Can you understand him, Professor?" Cyndi asked the old gentleman.

"Pikachu wants us to stay here and wait for Ash and May to return on their own," he explained.

"But why?" Delia asked.

"Because Ash promised him that they would come back," Brock said, coming down the stairs, his shower finished.

"How can you tell?" Raine was amazed.

"When you work with Pokémon as much as the Professor and I do, it becomes a second nature," Brock explained.

Norman took a step towards the door, prompting Pikachu to spark again. Next Brock approached, but Pikachu scared him back with the same tactic. Max decided to test Pikachu's bluff, but as the boy tried to step past the Electric-Type, he found himself on the unpleasant end of a non-lethal shock, jolting the boy backwards. A consensus was reached that Pikachu wouldn't let them leave, so they would all have to wait for Ash and May to come back. The house remained quiet. Pikachu sat at the door, guarding it from anyone who would dare to try to exit. Delia returned to the kitchen and sat, twirling her spaghetti. Oak and Caroline returned to their respective windows, watching for signs. Norman turned off the television and began to play some games with the small children, in order to keep their minds off the storm.

* * *

A sound of coughing filled his ears. Ash turned to his side to see May having to bend over in the rain, clutching her sides, hacking hoarsely.

"Are you gonna be alright, May?" Ash asked, bending down to see her face.

"I-" she coughed. "I'll be fine. Let's just get to-" Her speaking was interrupted by the hacking in her throat. "-Cyndi's house so I can rest."

Ash turned around and kneeled. "C'mon, May," he offered. "I'll carry you back."

May sighed sickly, "But I might slow you down."

"Don't say that," Ash fired back. "I'll carry you, don't worry." With that, the coordinator crawled onto his back, allowing the boy to take one of her legs in each of his arms. He stood up as May wrapped her arms around his neck. He began to walk along the river, remembering that it was the key to return them to their friends and family.

* * *

In order to occupy his mind, Brock began formulating a list of what he, Ash, May and Max would need for when they returned to the road. He searched through Ash's things and jotted down a few numbers on his notepad. Turning to May's items, Brock was shocked when he found her Pokéballs lying in her pack. He thought for a moment on what would be the best course of action, and decided not to say anything about it. _If they knew that May didn't have her Pokémon to protect her, it would only cause more pandemonium_, he thought. He quietly zipped her pack back up, and went into Max's things.

"Hey, Brock," he heard the voice of his youngest traveling companion call for him. Brock turned to see Max behind him, looking distressed.

"What's up, Max?" Brock asked, even though he knew what was on his mind.

"I'm worried about May," he admitted.

"I thought you were playing a game with your dad to keep your mind off of it," Brock observed.

"I couldn't keep my mind off it, though," he sat down. "I've always had my sister with me. I was upset when I heard she was gonna go on her Pokémon journey alone, so when she and Ash came to the Petalburg Gym, I was glad that Mom and Dad let me go with them. I'm worried that something's happened to my sister and friend."

Brock placed his arm around the boy. "I'm sure Ash and May are fine. We get into these kinds of scrapes all the time, remember? And we end up okay."

"I guess you're right," Max sighed. He turned to the breeder again. "I-If May stays with us, do you think things are gonna change between her and Ash?"

"Undoubtedly," Brock responded. "Ash has told May something very special, Max. I know you don't understand right now, seeing as you only see May as your sister. But Ash sees in her something that he has never seen before. Their friendship has grown and matured into a loving relationship, even if May eventually chooses Drew. They won't be able to look at each other in the same way again."

"Heh, I think I understand, now," Max smiled.

"What do you mean by that?" Brock smiled, knowing already.

The boy stood up and began walking away. "I've gotta get back to the game," he smiled, blushing. He ran off to avoid being caught by his friend in such a situation.

Brock sighed. "Young love," he told himself. "It seems like everyone's getting together but me. I do have to admit that I have been giving out some wonderful advice. Maybe I should follow it, myself…" he thought for a moment. "Nah," he laughed, "It's much funner to do things my way."

* * *

A loud knocking again interrupted Raine's work. The mother hustled over to the door and opened it, allowing a soaked Ash carrying May inside.

"Thanks, Raine," Ash panted.

"Oh, my…" Raine's eyes widened at the sight of May. "Let's get her a place to lay down, quick."

"I'm not that sick…" May coughed.

Ash carried her into the next room, amid the gasps and cheers over their return. He carried May to the couch and sat her down on it. Norman and Caroline leapt in to check on their daughter.

"Oh my God," Caroline was speechless. "May, what happened to you?"

"It's a long story…" May smiled weakly.

"Thank goodness Ash found you when he did," Norman gave a sigh of relief.

Ash was too busy being smothered by his mother's embrace to make a comment. "I was so worried about you, Ash!" Delia cried into her son's hair. "Never, ever do that again!"

"I'm fine, Mom," Ash sighed. He looked around the room for Pikachu.

The small Pokémon had crawled into May's lap to give her some comfort. May looked at him and stroked his soft, yellow fur. She looked up from him to have her eyes meet Ash's. She smiled a 'Thank you' to him. Ash smiled and nodded back.

After the initial relief that May was back had subsided, Caroline noticed that she wasn't clothed as she was earlier that day. "May, what happened to your clothes?" the mother asked her daughter.

Raine's ears peaked when she heard something happened to May's clothes. She looked over at the girl, the gears spinning in her head, planning. She began pacing about the room, nervously tapping her teeth with her thumb.

"Max," Norman turned to the boy, ignoring Raine's actions, "be a good brother and go fetch your sister a change of clothes."

Before the boy could agree, May's voice shot out. "No! I never want to see those clothes again!"

"What's up, May?" Max asked his sister.

Ash walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I think the story needs to be told," he whispered to her.

May looked up and him and nodded. Ash sat down next to her and took her hand in his, much to the confusion of everyone else in the room. Brock stepped into the room looking at the crowd around the couch. "Um, can they have some space, please?" Brock asked them. All of the adults looked at each other in embarrassment, and then took several places around the room. Brock walked over and sat on the couch with Ash and May, giving them support.

May began telling the story of how Drew invited her for a picnic. She had forgotten her Pokéballs, but Drew had told her that she didn't need them. Ash broke in and mentioned that after they left, Harley's Ariados had tried to capture Pikachu, but that attempt was foiled by, of all people, Team Rocket.

May continued her tale about how she had eaten with Drew and talked with him during this time. She told them about the perfume that Drew had made for her. So ecstatic with the wonderful smelling gift, she quickly sprayed it all over her clothes. Meanwhile, Ash had encountered Tracey in the forest, and Pikachu defeated his Marill and Scyther. Ash pondered out loud as to how Harley convinced Tracey to help him.

May stopped for a moment and just began to look at her bare legs. Ash squeezed her hand to give her the strength to continue. May told them about how Drew had drawn closer to her. About how he had started kissing her. About how his hands invaded her person. May began to cry silently when she thought about these events. May told them about how Drew had struck a deal with Harley, only because Drew was jealous of Ash.

Ash could see the blood vessels on Norman's head begin to pop out. The Gym Leader gritted his teeth in rage, squeezing the arms of the easy chair in which he sat. Caroline stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to control his anger.

"But why would Drew and Harley join forces?" Cyndi asked, rubbing her chin.

"I think Harley was just using Drew," Brock said after thinking. "I bet he was trying to divide Ash and May before the battle to increase his chances of winning."

"Come to think of it," Max said, "Misty was here earlier, too. While Ash and May were gone. Do you think that Misty trying to split them up, too?"

"I don't know, Max," Oak said. "I've spoken with Misty quite a few times before this incident began. This doesn't seem like her style…"

"True," Max agreed, "but you know what they say. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I'm so glad we have so many smart people here to help us think about this stuff!" Delia giggled.

Caroline sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if there's anything going on in that head of yours, Delia…"

Raine stayed out of the argument, stealing nervous glances at May as she stepped back into the front room and reemerged with a pen and note pad.

"The story's not over, yet," May interrupted. "After I realized that Drew was working with Harley, I ran away from him and ended up at the base of a waterfall." She thought for a moment. "Why he didn't chase me on Flygon, I don't know…"

"I do," Ash spoke up. "Drew's Pokémon were waiting in the forest to ambush me. If that doesn't connect him to Harley, especially after I'd encountered Harley's Pokémon in the forest, I don't know what does." Ash continued and told them about the battle he had with Drew's Pokémon before their trainer arrived. Drew arrived and was rescued by Ash from Sceptile's Bullet Seed, which he had mistakenly stepped into. He recounted their encounter, and how the boy had become broken by his own actions.

"So that's where he ended up…" May reflected. "I thought he would be chasing after me…"

"But, how did May's clothes get destroyed?" Raine asked, looking up from the note pad after jotting something down.

"I… I did it…" May told them. "After I got away from him, the smell was still on me. From the perfume, I mean. I… I couldn't stand the thought of him still on my body. So I ripped my clothes off and tossed them into the river. If I look at them again, all it will remind me of is this horrible night. I need a change…"

"W-when I found her…" Ash explained, "she wasn't wearing anything but her underwear…" He blushed at the recount. "I gave her my sweatshirt to wear on our way back."

"I was so glad when Ash found me," she sighed. "I was afraid that Drew would come back… but Ash protected me." She smiled at him. "He's always been protecting me." She turned to her father and mother. "And… I… I love him."

Norman's mouth dropped wide open. Everyone's eyes shot to Caroline, then the Gym Leader.

"I…" Ash blushed. "I love May, Norman…" he gulped.

Norman didn't respond. He stood there with the stupefied look on his face, his mouth hanging open.

"Oh, this is just too precious!" Delia hopped in front of them. "My litte Ash and his first girlfriend!" She hugged them both tightly.

"I've got it!" Raine shouted. She dashed over to stand in front of May so she could be the center of attention. "Caroline, take May upstairs and give her a bath." She yanked the green bandana off of May's head and passed it to Brock.

"Hey!" May protested, reaching for her bandana as it was lobbed to the breeder. "That's mine. Give it back!"

"Wash that in the kitchen sink. I'll send someone to get it later." Raine explained, her mouth running a mile a minute. "C'mon, Caroline, get a move on!" She shouted. Bewildered, Caroline took May by the hand and led her up the stairs. "Delia, you and I need to go look through the storefront for some clothes for May."

"Why?" Delia asked, still confused as to what was going on.

"I've got a great plan!" Raine was entirely psyched. "It'll give May a makeover and has the capability to save my store!" She grabbed Delia by her upper arm and pulled her into the storefront as the two of them began to search for clothes.

"Hey!" Cyndi shot through the door before it closed. "I'm a girl, too! I can help!"

"Then you'll be holding things," her mother told her.

"Aww, I never get to do the fun stuff!" the girl pouted.

The two women began rummaging through all of Raine's stock. Delia showed several things that she liked to the store owner, most of which Raine shouted harsh denials towards. After getting pestered one to many times by the Pallet mother, she sent her upstairs to get May's measurements.

"Yo, Norman…" Brock snapped his fingers in front of the Gym Leader as Delia dashed up the stairs. "Are you home?"

"Um, Ash?" Max gulped. "This might be a good time to either explain yourself, or run like crazy."

"Norman," Ash gulped. "I'm sorry if it wasn't in your plan for May when you sent her off with me, but we fell in love. I've never felt this way before about anyone. I can't really explain it, myself, because it's so new. But I would never want to hurt her like Drew did."

Delia almost tripped going back down the stairs as she reported in to Raine. The two mothers got May's entire brand new change of clothes and loaded them into Cyndi's arms. Raine yanked May's wet, yet clean bandana from Brock as she crossed the room and followed her daughter and Ash's mom up the stairs to the bathroom where May was bathing under the watchful gaze of her mother, Caroline.

Oak walked over to the still stunned Gym Leader. "Take it easy on him, Norman," Oak smiled. "Don't you remember how scared you were when you had to speak to Caroline's parents?"

Norman's frozen visage finally changed. He walked up to Ash and looked him in the eyes. "If you ever hurt my daughter, I will hunt you down and personally neuter you myself, got that?"

Ash gulped as the color drained from his face. "Ye-yes, sir."

Norman started laughing, slapping Ash on the back. "Oh, I was just kidding!" A puzzled look flew across Ash's face, while Max's head fell, embarrassed over his father's reaction to the situation. "If you and May are really in love, then there's nothing I can do about it, is there?" he laughed. "Ash, I trusted you to watch over her before. Now that you two are a couple, there's even more reason for me to let you two travel together."

"You mean you're not mad?" Ash blinked.

"Yeah, I thought Ash'd be shaped into a balloon Pokémon by now," Max added,

"Ash has my trust," Norman explained. "He's proven that he loves May, in my eyes. And knowing what kind of young man Ash is, I know he'll never want that love to go out."

Ash shot his eyes around the room. "Hey, guys?" he asked. "Can I talk to Max in private?"

Norman stood up and walked over to Oak and Brock. "Let's leave them to talk. I'm getting hungry again, anyway." The Gym Leader pushed the professor and the breeder into the kitchen, so that Ash and Max could have privacy. Pikachu walked across the couch to sit in Ash's lap.

"So, what do you think?" Ash asked his friend.

"About what?" Max said as he climbed on the couch next to Ash.

"About your sister and me being a couple," he explained. "It must be pretty weird, having one of your best friends fall in love with your sister."

"Yeah, I've done some thinking about that," he sighed. "Why do you love my sister?"

"That's a hard question, Max," Ash laughed. "There's no one thing. It's her personality. Her bright, cheery smile every morning. I like how she seems so optimistic, even when things don't seem to be going well. I've grown attached to her, just by having her around. Her smile makes me light up, and when I hold her in my arms, I feel so strong." Ash laughed at his words. "I'm not very good at explaining this kind of thing."

"There are some times when I just can't stand her, though," Max grunted. "She acts so girly, it makes me gag."

"I used to think like that," Ash smiled. "Girls used to be this weird alien species. Then, when I went on my journey, I matured. I made friends with Misty, and after that, girls just seemed normal. I guess those girly things your sister does kinda grew on me after a while."

"You're not gonna stop being my friend, just because you and my sister are going out, now, right?" Max asked.

Ash could tell that this was troubling the boy especially. "Of course we'll still be friends, Max," he smiled. "You're a great friend. I'd never stop being your pal, even if something happens and May and I break up."

"Thanks, Ash," Max smiled. "I feel a lot better about this now."

"I was worried you'd be upset with me," Ash laughed.

"Now why would I be?" Max asked the youth.

"Well, you were always makin' fun of May and me when we hung out," Ash said.

"It's not that I was upset," Max explained. "I just didn't understand how you could fall in love with my sister. But now I think I'm starting to." He pushed up his glasses. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not gonna poke fun at you and her, so watch out!"

Ash messed up the boy's hair. "That's fine, Max," he laughed. "You wouldn't be you without buggin' your sister."

"Eureka!" Raine shouted. "My masterpiece is finished!"

"I think you look wonderful, honey," they heard Delia say before she came down the stairs.

"May looks so cute in her new outfit!" Caroline smiled, following Ash's mother.

"It looks a lot like what she used to wear…" Cyndi grumbled, tailing Caroline with Raine right behind.

"I call it: May, risen again and reimagined!" Raine announced, acting like it's a huge presentation. She flung her arms skyward and shouted at the top of her lungs, "C'mon down, May!"

"Geez, Mom," Cyndi became cynical, "this isn't a fashion show."

Ash and Max looked up the stairs to see the coordinator's new outfit as she stepped down the stairs.

* * *

**I'm a jerk. I'm going to force you to wait until next time before I tell you what she's wearing now. Although, everyone could probably guess…**

**Well, the battle's starting in I'd say the end of Chapter 30, or the beginning of chapter 31. I hope you all enjoy the coming battle.**

**And I bet you all thought Norman was gonna kill him, eh? So I pulled the ol' bait-n-switch on ya. Give you what you're not expecting. **

**So, please continue to review and PM me your questions and comments, if it suits your fancy. Myself? I've gotta get started on the next part.**


	29. Change

**Okay, I can tell all you war mongers that the battle isn't going to start until sometime in Chapter 31. Whatever happened to liking the Shipping fic for the Shipping, and not the Battles?**

**Meh, I'm ranty. Let's go with Chapter 29.

* * *

**

Ash stood back and tried to take in every detail about what he saw as she stepped down the stairs.

Her feet were now clad in red and black running shoes with white bottoms. She retained the short, black socks from her previous ensemble, as well as the black shorts that hugged her upper legs. Her white skirt had been replaced with a red one, with a white stripe up the center of it all the way to the neck of her red blouse. On her hips hung a new, green pack, replacing the yellow one she started her journey with. Her red blouse ended at her neck, featuring a black collar similar to the red one in her previous fashion statement, although this one was folded down, appearing more formal. This new top had no sleeves, leaving her arms bare up to her gloves. The new gloves still featured black fingers with white palms, but also had a hole in the back, revealing the skin on the back of her hand. The gloves extended further over her wrists, featuring a green ring that matched her new pack. Atop her head, newly cleaned, dried and tied lovingly, was the bandana that Ash had bought for her several days ago.

She stepped off of the bottom step and stood in front of the boy. Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder to get a better view of May's new look. Avoiding eye contact with either of them, she asked, "How do you like it?"

"It's-I-Um-I mean-" Ash stumbled over the words.

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled.

"I think he likes it, sis," Max smiled at Ash's ineptitude.

May giggled at Ash, glad to have the boy's jumbled approval.

"Yes!" Raine cheered. "Now, Ash and May, I need you two to come with me!" She grabbed both of them by their arms and began pulling them up the stairs. Raine turned her head to the other mothers, "You two need to go find something to do. I can handle the next part." She turned to her daughter. "Go get lots of printer paper and color ink cartridges from under the desk up front and come up to my room." Cyndi saluted her mother and ran off.

Raine pulled the couple into her room. A short, blue carpet covered the floor, and along with the purple wall paper, gave the room a chilling feel. While most of the room was taken up by the bed Raine and her husband shared when he was with them, a small computer desk with a printer sat in the corner. Raine began searching though the papers on the desk, looking for something. She reached down and picked a small ball with a cable attached to the back of it off her desk. She quickly booted up her computer and began pounding away at the keyboard. Ash and May watched as a window that showed the palm of Raine's hand appeared on the screen. The woman spun the ball in her hand until the camera's lens focused on Ash and May. The trainers stood bewildered as they saw themselves on the small screen.

"Now, I need you two to pose for me," Raine explained, turning the small camera towards them.

"Pose?" Ash blushed. "Wh-whaddya mean?" May looked away from the boy and blushed as well.

"You two are going to help me advertise the store," Raine smiled. "You did say you'd help if you could, right?"

"I did, didn't I?" Ash sighed. "But why us?"

"With all the publicity at the battle tomorrow," Raine excitedly smiled, "I'd be stupid not to have the people who beat Misty advertise for me!"

"So, what's your plan?" May asked, still not having wrapped her head around the idea.

"I'm going to take some pictures of you two posing together and put them on fliers," Raine explained as Cyndi came into the room carrying lots of paper and a few small boxes. "After the battle, I'll get them distributed, and people will come from all over the city to buy the same outfit that the girl that beat Misty wore!"

"This is all a publicity stunt?" May raised her eyebrow, slightly annoyed due to having been reduced to a marketing tool.

"Yes, but I need you!" Raine grabbed her hands and pleaded. "This is my chance to reinvigorate the store! It's a blessing from the Almighty God!" Raine leapt back and raised her hands into the air.

"But, what if we lose?" May asked.

Before she could follow up, however, Cyndi leapt up. "Hey, don't go into this thinking you're gonna lose!" she shot. "Think positive!"

"Well, I have nothing to lose, really," Raine shrugged. "If you lose, then I'll lose the store, anyway, right? I'll have to leave town."

Ash and May got in a small huddle. "We need to help her, May," Ash reminded her. "Raine's been awfully good to us."

"But I don't really feel comfortable," May sighed. "Someone already tried to take advantage of my body earlier tonight. Now I feel like Raine's asking me to do the same thing."

"If you don't wanna do this," Ash told her, "I'm sure you can back out."

"I'll help Raine," May smiled. "After all, isn't that what you'd do, Ash?"

"Yeah…" he responded absentmindedly. "Wait, why is what I'd do important?"

"If we're boyfriend and girlfriend now," May broke the huddle and wiggled her finger at him, "then we're gonna have to do a lot more stuff together."

"B-boyfriend?" Ash studdered. "Me?"

"Of course!" May smiled.

"Are you two ready?" Raine asked, turning from the computer after having set up the program.

"As we'll ever be…" Ash grumbled, still confused as to what May meant by 'boyfriend.'

"So how are we supposed to pose?" May asked, moving her right index finger to her chin.

Raine stepped over to the couple and moved May so she was standing mostly in front of Ash. She took Ash's arms and placed them around May's midsection. Raine stepped back and looked for a moment, puzzled as to how she could improve it. "No," she told herself, "that should be good enough." She walked over to the computer and began preperations for the picture taking. "Ready in 10…" Raine began the count down.

"So I'm you're boyfriend, now?" Ash whispered into her ear.

"…9…8…7…"

"Well, I thought we were when I said that I loved you," May responded.

"...6…5…4…"

"Well, then I better do something boyfriendish," Ash responded.

"…3…"

Ash moved his face closer to May's and pressed his lips against her cheek.

"…2…"

May began to blush and moved her arm behind Ash's head, placing the palm of her hand on the back of his neck.

"…1…"

They both closed their eyes, the kisser and the kissed, enjoying the intimate moment.

"…there! I got it!" Raine cheered. They opened their eyes and saw the picture of them. Ash held her in his arms while kissing her on the cheek very sweetly, as May's hand disappeared behind their heads.

Ash's stomach let out an audible growl. "I never ate tonight…" Ash moaned, "I was too busy chasing Pikachu and May in the woods…"

"Well, then let your girlfriend fix you something right up!" May smiled, taking him by the hand and leading him out of the room.

"Wait!" Ash tried to halt her. "What if Raine needs our help some more?"

"I've got it," Raine waved them off. "You two have fun."

"Please?" Ash begged as May dragged him out.

May lead him down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Max, Norman and Caroline had set up the couch bed and had fallen asleep upon it. As they turned into the kitchen, May saw Oak sitting at the table, reading a book that had its cover hidden in a layer of newspaper. Delia sat across the table from him, her head lying in her arms, fast asleep.

"Hey, Professor," Ash greeted the man.

Oak quickly slammed the book closed and turned to them. "Oh, hello, Ash, May," he smiled at them. "You two should be getting to sleep soon. You'll have a hard day tomorrow."

"Well, Ash's too hungry to sleep," May giggled, "so I'm gonna try to cook him up something."

"That's very sweet of you, May," the professor smiled. He stood up and began walking out of the room. "I'll leave you two alone," he yawned. "Come with me, Delia," Oak said to her. The sleeping woman stood up and began to walk out of the room. She bumped her face against the wall only once before finding the doorway and leaving the kitchen.

"So, what can I make you?" May giggled.

Ash pondered for a moment. "Well, have you ever made grilled cheese sandwiches before?"

May put a finger to her cheek. "No, but how hard can it be?" she asked. She opened the refrigerator and began to look around. "Hey, there's no cheese in here!"

Ash looked over her shoulder. "Yes, there is," he pointed to it. "It's right there, in the slices."

May picked up a piece of the sliced cheese disdainfully. "This is cheese? It looks like it's sick…"

Ash grumbled. "Well, when I was younger, my mom would always make me a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced cheese."

"My mom used a big wheel of cheddar," May related her experience.

Ash grumbled again. "Well, my Mom couldn't afford expensive cheese, and I got along fine!"

May realized she was upsetting him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ash," she quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you. I guess I'm a bit spoiled," she sighed. "If this is what you want, then I'll make it for you."

Ash's frown turned back into a smile. "Thanks, May," he told her.

May looked around for the butter and brought it out, as well as getting some of the slices of cheese and bread. Remembering how Ash took offense to her liberal butter usage when she prepared breakfast that day, she used a knife to cut off only a small sliver of butter. She used the sliver to butter the sides of the bread the sandwich would be cooked on. She cut off a slightly larger piece and dropped it into the pan, allowing it to melt. She placed the buttered sandwich into the frying pan.

"So…" Ash tried to make conversation, "what are we supposed to do, now?"

"What do you mean?" May asked, continuing to cook.

"Well, if we're boyfriend and girlfriend," Ash explained, "doesn't that mean things are gonna change between us?"

May thought for a moment. "Well, yeah," she said. "Why shouldn't it?"

"I guess I'm kinda afraid," Ash laughed at himself. "If things start to change too fast, I'm afraid that I'll screw up our relationship and then we couldn't even be friends after that."

"Yeah…" May trailed off, looking out the window. "This is all really kinda new, ya know?"

"Do I ever," Ash smiled to himself. "I've never had a girlfriend before. I wonder how people are gonna expect us to act?"

"They'll probably expect me to be hanging all over you," May laughed, turning around to stand behind where Ash was sitting. She draped her arms around his neck and over his chest. "Y'know, like this."

Ash felt his face turn red. He was determined to turn it around, though. "Y-yeah, and they'd want me to lean back and kiss you." He leaned his chair back to see May's smiling face as she lowered her lips.

Once again, Ash felt this wonderful feeling from deep inside himself engulf him. These feelings of love that he couldn't quite understand became as clear as day when his lips met hers. He wanted May to continue to kiss him for the next few hours.

Unfortunately for him, physics had other plans. The chair Ash leaned back in began to fall further backwards, ripping the youth from his significant other. The back of the chair, along with Ash, hit the ground with a loud crack, sending his hat flying across the ground.

"Oh my gosh!" May panicked. "I'm so sorry!" she began to help him to he feet. "Are you alright?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head and groaned. "Yeah, I'll be alright. I was just getting the hang of this kissing thing, too."

May leaned down and picked up his hat. She stepped over to the refrigerator as Ash still held the back of his head. Opening the freezer, she dropped some ice cubes into his hat and carried it over to him. "Here," she told him. "Hold this to the back of your head to ease the swelling."

Ash held the ice to his bruised scalp. "Thanks, May," he grumbled.

May giggled at his disappointment. The smell of burning bread entered her nose. "The sandwich!" she exclaimed as she turned around. She quickly flipped the sandwich over in the pan to see the mostly blackened side of it. She sighed, disappointed in herself for messing up what seemed like a simple sandwich. "Sorry, Ash," she sighed, "I'll make a new one for you."

"It's okay," Ash laughed, standing up while holding the ice to his head. "I'll still eat it; I'm too hungry to wait for a new one. Besides, it's the thought that counts, right?"

May leaned her back against him as he stood behind her. "I guess so," she thought. "What if something happens between us, Ash?" she asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked the girl as he wrapped his free arm around her neck.

"I mean, what if we get in an argument and decide that we're gonna break up?" she asked.

"I kinda talked to Max about this earlier," Ash related. "I really hope nothing happens, but if something does, I really hope we can still be friends, May."

"I do, too, Ash," she leaned her head back and looked at him from the top of her eyes. "But I'm afraid that if we go too far and then something happens, we might not be able to be friends."

"Like what happened between you and Drew?" Ash asked her.

"I… I'm not sure I can be his friend anymore…" she thought sadly. "After what he did to me…"

"Drew's afraid of that, too," Ash whispered to her. "He's worried that you'll never forgive him."

"Why should I?" she shouted at Ash, turning to face him with anger in her eyes. "He doesn't deserve forgiveness!"

Ash took her by the hand. "I'm not saying that you have to or should. That's your decision. I was just saying that Drew is worried that you'll never forgive him."

May turned back to the sandwich and flipped it over, checking it. She flipped it back onto the undercooked side. "A-are you going to do something like that, too?" she asked uncertainly, continuing to watch the cooking.

"I promise I'll never hurt you, May," Ash said, smiling yet serious. "And if you ever feel like I'm hurting you, I want you to tell me. I love you too much to want to harm you…" he realized that he had said the 'love' word.

"Do you really love me, Ash?" she asked, continuing to flip the sandwich.

"I… I do, May," he said, uncertain of himself.

"Why do you love me?" she quickly asked.

"Max asked me this one, too," he sighed. "And like I told him. It's a lot of different things. I guess the easy way to say it would be, that I love you for being you."

"Do you love me as much as you love your Pokémon?" she asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Ash blinked.

"When I saw how much compassion you had for Swellow after he hurt you," May swallowed. "I… I got kinda jealous. You said that you loved me, and it seemed to me that you loved Swellow more."

"I guess I do love my Pokémon," Ash said, "and I love you on the same level as them. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, May." Ash sighed. "My Pokémon are my partners, and I care about them a lot. In the same way, you're my partner, too, and I love you a lot."

May stopped leaning on Ash and flipped the sandwich. Ash couldn't see her face to gauge her reaction to what he had said. "I think it's done," May said, picking the messy sandwich up and setting it on a plate.

Ash looked at it in horror. On one side, the sandwich was crispy, black, and burnt. On the other, the bread seemed to have melted, and the cheese was sticking out of the side of the torn bread.

"Here ya go, Ash," May smiled, handing him the defective food stuff. "Eat up."

Ash considered what he had just said and the happy, expectant look on the girl's face. Swallowing his pride, he took the sandwich off the plate and took a bite.

The taste was a mixture of buttery, cheesy, and burnt. The buttery and cheesy flavors, however, managed to overpower the burnt flavor. Ash found the sandwich palatable as he scarfed it down, hoping to alleviate his hunger.

"How does it taste?" May asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

Ash managed to swallow the last portion of it. "It was good," he said, hoping that May wouldn't think him dishonest. He really thought it was good. Just not the best thing he had ever eaten.

May walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "That's really sweet of you, Ash," she whispered. "From how it looked, I thought it would have been terrible. But as long as you like it, that's enough for me." She turned her head and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek that caused them both to blush. "I love you, Ash," she whispered into his ear.

"I think it's time we went to sleep, May," Ash whispered back. "We have a big day, tomorrow. Thank you for the grilled cheese, by the way."

"You're welcome," she smiled, taking his hand as they walked back into the living room.

The scene before them illustrated how late it truly was. Norman, Caroline, and Max still snoozed on the opened couch-bed, while Oak had dozed off in the easy chair. Ash almost stepped on his mother as he walked through the room. It appeared that she was approarching a small wooden chair with the intent of falling asleep in it, but it seemed like she never made it. Seeing that nearly every possible spot in the room was taken, Ash and May quietly tip-toed up the stairs and peeked into Raine's room to spy on the mother.

She had fallen asleep in her chair, nodding only when the nasally voice of her computer informed her that she was out of paper. She snorted at the interruption to her nap, and stood up, walking only a few feet before stumbling into her bed, fast asleep. Deciding to take a different approach, Ash and May turned around as the coordinator led her new boyfriend into Cyndi's room.

The girl was asleep at her desk, with Ash's Pikachu napping on the plush dolls that lined her bookshelf. Ash looked around the dolls and news article, amazed that one little girl could accumulate so much information on him. He picked up the Pidgeot Doll and reminisced about the old friend that he hasn't seen in ages.

"Oh, Ash, look at this!" May whispered loudly to him. The trainer put the doll back down as he turned to May and Cyndi. The coordinator looked over the small girl's shoulder to see that she had been drawing a picture. It wasn't finished, as the girl had fallen asleep in the process, but the subject of her drawing was apparent.

In the drawing, Ash and May stood side by side, holding each other's hands. In front of them stood Max and Cyndi, also holding hands, their poses mirroring the poses the youths who stood above them. Under the girl's face, they could make out Brock's spikey hair, but the drawing of the breeder was unfinished.

"That's so cute," May whispered, indicating her brother and the young girl. "Cyndi likes Max!"

Ash chuckled. "I guess when we taunted them earlier, we weren't completely wrong. May, roll back Cyndi's covers, okay?"

May put on a slightly confused look, but obeyed, and rolled the girl's covers back. Ash bent over and picked Cyndi up, his arms supporting her legs and neck. He placed her on the bed and May, taking initiative, tucked her beneath the covers.

"She looks so peaceful," Ash whispered. "Certainly different from the loud girl we normally deal with."

"Yeah," May smiled. She ran her fingers through the girl's dark blue hair.

"…Mama…" Cyndi muttered in her sleep. She turn over on her side away from the couple as they stood over her.

May let out a short laugh. "Mama, eh?"

"I think you'd make a great mom, May," Ash placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, but you'd make a better dad," May playfully shoved him. "What with how you baby your Pokémon."

"I guess we'd both make good parents," Ash conceded, laughing.

"We really need to get to sleep," May sighed. "But where are we gonna sleep?"

"There's plenty of floor space here," Ash said, indicating the area around Cyndi's bed. "We could sleep here. I could go get our sleeping bags if you want."

May considered the idea. "Yes to sleeping on the floor in here, no to the sleeping bags. We'll be fine."

Ash and May sat down next to each other. "So…" Ash said, still sitting up, "how are we gonna sleep?"

"Well, how about how we slept against that tree a few days ago?" May asked. She and Ash backed up to the side of Cyndi's bed. Ash placed one of his hands on May's back. May curled up and placed her head in his lap.

"Um, May?" Ash cautioned. "Your head wasn't there that night."

"Maybe, but I want it here now," she snuggled her head against his lap like she did in her dream all those nights ago.

She felt Ash run his fingers though her hair. "I guess if you want, I should be a good boyfriend and let you, huh?"

"Now don't spoil me, Ash," May playfully warned.

"I won't," Ash chuckled. "Good night, May," he whispered, lowering his face to hers. He kissed her rather sloppily just under her ear. Realizing his folly, he chuckled. "I guess I still need practice," he laughed.

"We can work on that tomorrow," May laughed. "G'night, Ash," she smiled at him, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**Yes, May is now dressed in her Emerald clothes. Although I'm sure nearly all of you guessed that.**

**How did you like this chapter? I know you all are antsy about getting the battle, but patience is a virtue. And besides, after the battle, the story's pretty much over. I hope you all enjoy it as the story enters the final act.**

**Everyone, get Pokémon!**


	30. Countdown

**Alright, I feel I have to apoligize. The actual fighting in the battle doesn't start until Ch32. So, we won't see any fighting until next week. Sorry for any inconvinance caused by such a change.**

**There is, however, more of that fluffy shippyness here. And I know that there are some people here that really enjoy that.**_

* * *

_

_Ash looked around from where he and May stood. She looked elegant and beautiful to him, dressed in a loose fitting red tank top over a tight black baby-tee. Her legs were covered with a pair of tight jeans, her feet in small, brown sandals. Ash himself was wearing his regular black and orange tee, jeans and sneakers._

_Ash saw the bright stars in the sky above them. Looking down from the building on which they stood, he could see the lights of a large city sparkling beneath them._

"_So Ash," May asked him, "Why'd you bring me up here?" She smiled earnestly into his eyes._

_Seemingly only a spectator to these events, Ash saw himself reaching into his pocket. This other self pulled out a small folder, and opened it. Embedded into the folder were seven golden symbols._

"_I finally got the last one, May," Ash smiled at her. "And I owe it all to your help."_

_She hugged him and said. "You're very welcome, Ash." She let out a quick laugh. "I remember when you said that this would be the ideal conditions to kiss me under," she reminded him._

_Sliding the folder back into his pocket, he laughed. "Yeah, but I have a better idea this time."_

_May looked at him inquisitively. "Hmm? What're you thinking of this time."_

_Ash reached into his opposite pocket and produced a small, black box. He backed away from May and held the small box between his hands. He lowered himself to one knee and opened the box. Sparkling in the moonlight under the stars was a diamond ring. He held it up in front of her. "May," Ash gulped. "Will you…"_

_May was taken back. "A-are you…?"_

_Ash blushed. "Yeah…"_

_May stepped closer to him and took the ring from the box. She slid it over the ring finger on her right hand. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Ash." _

"_Pika!" the Ash watching the events heard himself shout._

Ash quickly opened up his eyes. The morning sun had drifted into the room. May was still asleep, her head still in his lap. He turned his head, and Cyndi also was still sleeping. He looked up for Pikachu, but the Mouse Pokémon wasn't at the post he had the night before. He turned his head to see the door slightly ajar. _Pikachu musta snuck off_, he thought. Ash felt very hungry, but he knew he shouldn't wake May from her sleep.

That is, until May started mumbling in her sleep. "It's okay, honey," she grumbled, "Pikachu can watch the kids while you and I go to the movies…" she let out a huge snore as a snot bubble slowly expanded and retracted from her nose.

_That's it. No more dreaming of us being married,_ Ash resolved. "May, wake up," he pleaded with her.

The snot bubble popped and the girl rubbed her eyes. "What gives Ash?" she yawned. "I was having a wonderful dream."

"Well, I think it's time for breakfast," he said. "And you know how hungry we get."

May sat up and stretched. "Okay, fine," she yawned. "But you're letting me sleep in tomorrow."

"That's fine," he smiled at her as she stood and walked out of the room. The image from his dream returned. _I'm not ready to take a plunge like that, yet_, he told himself, _I'm not even an adult yet. But why does this love thing have to be so hard? I was just getting used to being May's boyfriend, and now I have to worry about being her husband?_ He sighed. _I never get love until it's almost too late_. He began to wake Cyndi as he prepared to follow May downstairs.

May quietly stepped down the stairs, making sure not to wake up anyone before they were ready. To her relief, the only people still asleep downstairs were Mrs. Ketchum, who had found her way to that chair she failed to reach in the night prior, and her brother Max. She thought of the picture Cyndi left half-completed on her desk and giggled. But then she wondered if Max felt the same way. She felt that it was part of her duty as his older sister to root out his crushes, but she decided to be the bigger person and not expose him. At least for now.

"Please keep it a secret," She heard Cyndi's voice from upstairs. "I don't know how he'll react."

"I'll keep it, don't worry," she heard her boyfriend laugh. "I'll tell May to keep it quiet, as well."

May smiled and rubbed Max's head. "Time to wake up, Max," she smiled.

Max turned over in his sleep. "I don't wanna get up. May ate it," he grumbled, ignoring his sister.

"I ate what?" May became furious. She picked up Max by his feet and held him upside down.

Max, confused and dazed, woke up. "Huh? What?" he began shaking himself out of May's grip. "Mom! Help! May's beating me up again!"

May dropped him back onto the couch-bed and watched him bounce as Cyndi and Ash came to the bottom of the staircase. Cyndi giggled as the boy scrambled over to the coffee table for his glasses.

Brock walked into the room wearing his pink apron. "Well, I see that you guys are awake, now," he said. "I was just about to send Pikachu up stairs to give you a wake up call."

"So Pikachu's with you?" Ash asked, curious about his friend's location.

Brock nodded. "He also was able to grab yours and May's Pokéballs without waking you up. All the Pokémon are outside eating and relaxing before the big battle."

"Well, May and I are ready to eat, too," Ash smiled, motioning for the coordinator to come closer. "We're both gonna need our strength for the battle today!"

"Considering how much you two seem to eat, I'd better go warn Caroline and Raine that they need to kick up food production," Brock laughed walking back into the kitchen.

Cyndi walked over to Ash's sleeping mother and nudged her. "Mrs. Ketchum," Cyndi spoke, "are you gonna wake up?"

Delia opened her eyes and let out a large yawn. "Good morning, Cyndi," the mother yawned. "Is it morning already?"

"Yeah, and if you don't hurry up, Ash and May are gonna eat all the food and you won't have anything!" Cyndi warned. The new couple had already wandered into the kitchen and sat down, ready to devour whatever gets placed in front of them. Brock, Caroline, and Raine, having already fed themselves and Norman, began producing food in abundance for the newly arisen children. Ash and May sat next to each other, and May's brother took his place next to his sister. Pondering for a moment, Cyndi decided to sit next to Max instead of her idol. Max didn't catch any implications, but Ash and May both noticed and giggled to each other.

Placing a mountain of pancakes in the middle of the table, Caroline knew she had begun a free-for-all. Ash and May each grabbed as many pancakes as they could with their forks and began placing them on their plates. Ash gave his pancakes a quick dab of maple syrup before digging in, where as the coordinator added some butter to hers as well as syrup before eating.

Norman could only watch in awe of the children as they tore through the mountain. Max and Cyndi ate at a much slower pace, not even trying to catch up. Delia quickly sat down and took some pancakes for herself before they all disappeared. Brock faked a cough and whispered to Ash and May that they were being poor example of table manners for the young and impressionable children they shared the table with. They looked at each other with sticky faces and laughed. Ash and May both cleaned their plates quietly, and left the few pancakes that remained for the others.

Stepping out into the sunlight, the new couple enjoyed the company of the relaxed Pokémon. Pikachu and Aipom chased Skitty and Eevee about as Combusken and Marshtomp appeared to be playing a game in the mud. Sceptile sat in the branches of a tree, half watching Munchlax reach from a higher branch towards a berry. Brock's Bonsly napped under the watchful gaze of Swellow and Beautifly, who circled overhead in the clouds. Noctowl, however, sat in the dark branches above Sceptile, napping partially as per his nocturnal nature and also because of the adventure he had the night before. Donphan and Forretress bounded over to Combusken and Marshtomp, with the Armor Pokémon leaping into the middle of their game, splashing both sides with mud. Irritated, Combusken decided that her game with Marshtomp was over and walked over to the lax Sceptile, and attempted to strike up a conversation with him. A sad Marshtomp resigned to playing with Donphan and Forretress, instead of following her.

Alone, on the outskirts of the group, sat Corphish and Squirtle, each of them conversing jollily. Corphish told a short story, and Squirtle exploded into laughter. Ash and May decided that their battling allies would need their attention the most before the big battle.

"So how you guys doing over here?" Ash asked, stepping behind Corphish, placing his hand on the crustacean's head.

"Corphish cor!" the Hoenn Pokémon cheered.

"I bet you guys are anxious about the battle, huh?" May squatted next to her tiny turtle Pokémon.

"Squirtle…" he sighed. Squirtle leaned back against May's knee and looked up into his trainer's eyes. "Squirtle, squirtle squirt squirtle."

"I know you're a bit worried," May picked him up and held him to her chest. "But I know you'll do great."

"Skyaa!" Ash and May heard something from the sky above them. Swellow and Beautifly moved to intercept the shining silver creature as she flew towards them. They could make out a faint outline of a person on her back.

"Hey, is that-" Ash began before being cut off by Cyndi running out of the house.

"Daddy!" the girl squealed. She ran outside and leapt up and down, motioning him closer.

Sure enough, when Skarmory had come in close enough to be identified, she carried Joseph on her back. As soon as the Armor Bird Pokémon landed, the girl leapt into her father's arms, giving him a tight hug. "I've missed you so much, Cyndi," Joseph smiled. He looked up to see Ash and May walking towards them. "Hey, I wasn't expecting you two here!" he said, cheer in his voice.

"We never expected to run into more of your family," Ash laughed. "I guess we're just lucky, huh?"

"Daddy!" Cyndi squealed, "Ash has been staying here with us the past couple days! Isn't that cool? I got to eat breakfast with Ash Ketchum!"

"It certainly is, sweetheart," Joseph laughed, placing his small daughter on his shoulder. "I came to take you to the battle Ash is having in town today," he explained. "I knew you wanted to go ever since I heard that the man himself was battling in town. I never thought that he'd be here in person, though."

"Your family's been really great to us," May smiled. "I even got a new outfit while I was here," she giggled, twirling for the Pokémon Doctor, showing off the clothes that Raine had picked out especially for her.

"That looks very nice, May," Joseph smiled. The house began to empty behind them as Brock, Norman, Caroline, Max, and Delia stepped out with Raine following them, locking up behind her. "Raine?" he asked.

Raine turned to him, her face becoming flushed. "J-Joseph?" she quivered. She ran up to him and flung her arms around him, almost knocking Cyndi from her perch. "I-I've missed you so much…," she laughed into his chest, tears of joy fogging up her glasses. "How long has it been since you've been home?"

"Two months, dear," he said, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her forehead and looked into her grey eyes lovingly. "Two of the hardest months of my life."

"As much as I don't like to break up romance," Brock stepped up, interrupting, "the battle starts in about an hour, and we need to go."

"Y-yes," Raine acknowledged, breaking away from her husband. She shot a guilty look into his eyes, and turned away, walking towards the rest of the adults. Joseph took notice, but decided that now as not the time to address the issue.

Ash, May and Brock recalled all of their Pokémon, and Pikachu leapt to his trainer's shoulder. Ash and May lead the group into town Brock discussed the possible Pokémon for Misty to use in the battle with Max and Cyndi, as Raine introduced Joseph to the rest of the adults.

Ash turned back to Brock as they walked. "Hey, where's the Professor?"

May placed a finger to her chin. "Yeah, I haven't seen him all morning."

Brock shrugged. "He was the first to eat, and said that he had something to do in town. Then he up and left."

"I hope he gets there so he can see you thrash Misty," Cyndi giggled.

"Harley's gonna be in a world of hurt when my sister gets to him," Max added.

Turning the corner, Ash and May saw a huge crowd outside of the Cerulean Gym. May began to cling to Ash's arm for support, fearing what the crowd would do to them. Ash nodded in the crowd's direction, confidence and determination in his eyes.

"Hey, here they come!" they heard a man shout. They remained on the road as the crowd booed them and tossed garbage at them. May almost tripped over a can that someone had tossed at her and Ash, but Ash's arm kept her up.

Brock sighed at the people who attacked them. "Must be Misty's supporters," he groaned.

A paper cup smacked against Cyndi's face. The small girl angrily leapt at the crowd, but Max held onto her hand, causing the girl to blush and stand down.

"Aww, look at the little lovers," an older girl taunted. Max was riled up over this, but he was stopped by his father. Norman looked into the crowd, and they left the small children alone. No one would pick on the son of the Petalburg Gym Leader and live to tell the tale.

Ash and May pressed on, ignoring the boos, the insults and the profanity hurled at them. May's eyes began to water. "How can people be so mean to people they don't even know?" she asked Ash amid the chaos.

"This is the other side of the popularity that your Dad enjoys back in Petalburg," Ash told her. "These people all love Misty, and hate anyone who stands against her. Your dad could probably do something similar, if he wanted."

May thought about this as a banana peel shot in front of them. "This is all Harley's doing. Misty wouldn't use these people like this."

"Hey Romeo," they heard a man taunt from the crowd, "Why don't you take your little girlfriend and get. No measly no-name trainer stands a chance against Misty!"

Ash huffed. "I'm not gonna waste my time trying to talk to you," he grunted.

"What'd you say?" the man was becoming angry. "Come over here and say that, shrimp!"

"Hey, you leave him alone!" May stepped in. "We're going to the battle, so why can't you just save all the nasty things you're going to say about us for then?"

"Oh, so he hides behind his woman?" the man sneered. "Tough guy."

"Hey, leave May out of this," Ash snarled. "She hasn't done anything to you." Pikachu also growled in his direction.

"Yeah, but that bitch has you whipped," he laughed.

The normally docile trainer from Pallet shot quickly at the man, and knocked him into the people behind him. Blood gushed from the man's nose as Ash held his arm into the air where he made contact.

"Never, ever, talk about May like that," Ash was breathing heavily, anger in his voice.

Delia placed her hands over her mouth that her Ash would commit such an action. Even Pikachu's mouth was hanging open over Ash's attack. Norman smiled in approval, and Brock let out a short chuckle.

May was both relieved and worried about this temper she saw. Ash was slow to anger, but this guy apparently found a way to tick him off very quickly. _I guess it proves that we still don't know everything about each other, yet._ She hugged his arm. "Thank you, Ash."

Ash shot her a smile. "Whenever you need punks like that taken care of just let me know."

Suddenly, the sun seemed to be blotted out. A strange, Meowth-shaped hot air balloon floated, concealing the sun from the crowd. Their constant anger towards Ash and May turned to the balloon. Voices of confusion arose, curious about the strange new development.

"Prepare for trouble if you attack the twerps!" A woman called out.

"Make it double, they'll give you your just desserts!" A man called as well. Ash and May looked up, knowing full well who was there, but unable to see them through the glare.

"An evil as old as the Galaxy!" the woman leapt from the balloon to stand in front of Ash and May.

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!" the man followed her, landing in front of them as well.

"Don't forget me!" The small Pokémon jumped down and landed behind his allies. All three of the Rockets concealed their identities in robes, hoping that their dramatics could be emphasized.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love and extend our reach to the stars above!" the trio shouted in unison as Meowth operated an unseen controller to fly the balloon away from the Gym.

"Jessie!" she shouted as she tossed aside the robe, revealing the woman in her Rocket uniform.

"James!" the man tossed his in the opposite direction, also making a dramatic reveal.

"And Meowth are da names!" he tossed his robe behind him. The crowd gasped at the sight of the talking Pokémon.

"Anywhere there's peace in the universe…"

"…Team Rocket…"

"…is dere…"

They all got into a last dramatic pose, and shouted, "…to make everything worse!"

The crowd stunned silent, the sound of Jessie's Pokéball snapping open echoed. "Wobbuffet!" the patient Pokémon shouted.

"Mime, mime!" the smaller Psychic type twirled from behind James.

"Team Rocket!" Ash, May, Max, Brock, Norman, Caroline, and Delia all shouted in unison.

"Pipikachu!" the Electric-type added.

Several voices came from the crowd "T-These guys are really Team Rocket?" "My Pokémon!" "Are they with Ash and May?"

"Hold it!" A familiar voice shot from the crowd as a gunshot filled the air. The trigger-happy Officer Jenny from the other day had appeared, looking inquisitively at the Rocket Trio. "Are you really Team Rocket?"

The Rockets froze. Ash looked around and thought quickly. "Follow my lead," he whispered to May and the Rockets. He shot a look at Brock, containing the same information, and saw the breeder whisper it to the adults. "Officer Jenny, you've gotta excuse my friends here."

"Your friends?" Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Are you friends with these guys?"

"Yeah," Ash put on an embarrassed look on his face. "They're pretty weird. They're always making dramatic entrances and stuff. Always causing a panic, right guys?" Ash turned to the trio, a wide, false grin across his face.

"You know," May also had a fake smile across her face. "The kinds of people that scream 'Fire' in crowded areas?"

Jenny wrote a note in her notebook. "Alright, I'll let your friends off with a warning this time, but this kind of activity can be fined." She turned and looked sternly at the Rockets. "Don't let me catch you trying to cause panic in Cerulean again. This kind of activity is called 'disturbing the peace' around here. I don't know what they call it where you're from."

"Don't give it another thought!" Jessie reassured the armed officer.

"You won't here from us again!" James smiled, rubbing his hands together. Mime Jr. copied this action.

"Oh, look at the time," Ash said, looking at nowhere in particular. "We better get inside for the battle!" He grabbed May and James by their arms with May also grabbing onto Jessie. Meowth ran behind the five as they hustled into the Gym.

Once inside, they saw two distinct lines filing into the Gym seating. On one side, the line was stretching out the door, leading into the crowd that Ash, May and Team Rocket had seen outside. The other line was entirely clear, with one or two people going in though that gate.

Ash, May and the Rockets walked up to the booth heading the line that was empty. A girl with shoulder length pink hair sat there, grumbling at the lack of business that she was getting.

"Lily," Ash asked her, "what's this line for?"

Lily looked up, her mouth agape. "Ash? You're here? Misty was so totally sure that you weren't going to show."

May rolled her eyes at the second air headed Cerulean Sister. "Well, we are here, and we're ready for battle!" she yelled, garnering the attention of the opposite line, which cause them to start acting up similar to the crowd outside. The blue-haired woman at the booth infront of that line shouted for them to remain calm, and that anyone who assaulted the trainers would be ejected from the Gym and not allowed to watch the battle. Grumbling, the people stood in line, only muttering to each other.

"Ash!" Brock shouted, dashing into the Gym with the rest of the group following him. The breeder shot a look at the Rockets, and walked up to them.

"You, like, have a ton of people with you, huh?" Lily smiled. She stood from her booth, knowing that she wasn't going to get any business. "Misty told me to totally take you to a room to let you get ready for the battle," she said, smiling while leading the two away from the group.

Ash turned to his group. "Lily, can Brock, Max, and our 'new friends'," he said motioning to the Rocket Trio, "come with us for a little bit?"

"Like, I don't see why not," she said, motioning for Max, Jessie, James and Meowth to come over.

"I can't believe she doesn't recognize us," James whispered to his partner.

"Don't jinx it, James!" Jessie hushed him. "I guess the Cerulean Sisters are as dim as they say," she chuckled.

"Den why'd we get beat by 'em before?" Meowth asked rhetorically.

The Rockets grumbled as they and the twerps were led into a room on the side of the Gym.

* * *

**Looks like Team Rocket's interested in the battle as well!**

**Next time, we get some flashy introductions, plot, and the set up to the long** **awaited battle.**

**Now, while you all "Get Pokémon!", I'm gonna go fix something. Stupid brain-farts. It's supposed to say Tuesday and FRIDAY!**


	31. Champions

**Meh, not much to say. Battle offically starts in Ch32. Enjoy the shippiness!**

* * *

"Like, this is the room!" Lily squealed as she opened the door.

The room was very red. Red carpet, pink walls, even a maroon couch. Ash chuckled at the thought that Misty was giving him a preview of Hell. _Team Rocket's here, so I guess that much is right._ he laughed to himself.

"I'll come back when the battle's about to begin," Lily smiled, leaving the cheerful group in the room.

As soon as she left, the smile left Ash's face. "Alright, what are you guys doing here?" he asked the Rockets.

"Yeah, you guys are normally up to no good," May snapped at them.

"First off," Jessie cleared her voice, speaking for the trio, "that's a very nice new outfit, twerpette. It almost looks like something I'd like to have someday."

May became flustered with embarrassment at the woman's complement. "R-Raine picked it out for me," she said under her breath.

"Well, tell that Raine that she's got an eye for fashion," James commented. "Outfits that well coordinated are normally the providence of us."

"Second," Jessie continued, "we're here only to support you."

"Wait, that doesn't make any sense," Max pushed his glasses up. "Why would you support us? Don't we blast you off more often than anything?"

"Well, there are a lot of different issues at work here," Jessie explained. "First, we don't really like Harley to begin with. So it's natural that we'd go against him."

"But don't you hate us more?" Brock raised an eyebrow at this rather frivolous answer.

"That's not the point!" James shot back at him.

"Mime, mime!" his Pokémon mimed him.

"It's also a matter of seeing how well your training with us paid off," James continued. "I'm really eager to see what good we've done."

"Good?" Ash and May both asked, still confused over the issue.

"Don't get da wrong idea or nothin'," Meowth stepped forward. "It's just dat we're da only ones who should be harrasin' you twoips and trying to grab Pikachu, not some stupid crowd."

"Is that why you leapt in from the balloon?" Max asked them.

Jessie sighed. "You're smart for a twerp," she commented. "I guess we feel a bit like we've had a hand in this romance," she said. "And you should know by now over all of our encounters about how much of a romantic I am…" she added, blushing.

"Thanks for scaring the crowd, by the way," Ash held out his hand in friendship to Jessie.

She took it and shook firmly. "We're even, due to you saving us from the police."

James looked out the door. "We should get going if we're going to get a good seat," he warned his partners.

Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder and stepped to Meowth. "Pika," he said, extending his hand. "Pika pika Pipikachu pika pika!" he smiled at Meowth.

"Thanks, Pikachu," he said, slapping his paw against Pikachu's. "You twoips ain't so bad, either."

With that, the Rockets wished Ash and May good luck, and left to go get a ticket and a seat.

"We should probably get going, too," Brock said to Max.

"I'll be cheering as loud as I can," Max turned to his sister and friend. "And I'll get Cyndi to cheer as well!"

"Thanks, Max," Ash smiled at him.

May kneeled to the ground and gave her little brother a hug. "I'm not going to say this isn't a bit scary, having to go up against a friend like this," she whispered to her brother, "but I know you'll be cheering me on." She shed a few tears into his hair.

"You'll be great, May," he said, encouraging her. "With all the work you and Ash've put in, Misty and Harley won't know what hit 'em!"

"Thanks. I love you, Max." she smiled to him.

Brock took Max by the hand and led him out of the room, leaving his teary eyed sister and his friend to prepare for the battle.

"Are you ready, May?" Ash asked her.

"I-I guess I'm still a little nervous," she smiled, trying to hide her fear. "I mean, I don't even know what Pokémon Misty's gonna use. And I've never had to fight a friend before with the stakes so high."

"We'll win, don't worry," Ash affirmed.

"Pika, pika!" the mouse Pokémon added.

"Thanks, Ash and Pikachu," she smiled at them. She wrapped her arms around Ash and placed her head against his chest. She felt Ash place his arms around her, holding her tightly to him.

"I know you're worried, May," he tried to soothe her. "I kind of am, too. I've never told you about how Gary and me used to get along before we became Pokémon Trainers, did I?"

"No," she whispered.

"Gary and I used to be best buds, back in Pallet," he said, thinking about the past. "We were always playing and having fun together. But one day, Professor Oak came to our class and taught us about becoming Pokémon trainers. After that day, Gary would always be making fun of me and how little I knew about Pokémon. We became rivals soon after that."

"Yeah, but what does this have to do with our current situation?" May asked, her eyes closed as she rested her head against him.

"Gary and I have put the past behind us," Ash nuzzled her head with his. "We're friends again now. And I'm sure that this thing with Misty'll go the same way."

"Oh, Ash…" May looked into his eyes. She leaned in and parted her lips slightly, taking the boy by surprise.

Ash returned the kiss, placing his hands at her hips. He parted his lips as well, and slowly brought his tongue out. May felt him moving, and met him at the edge of her lips. They mingled together, tasting each other. Ash rolled his tongue against the roof of May's mouth, tickling the girl internally. May squealed with delight into Ash's mouth, playfully closing her teeth around his tongue. Ash, controlled only by his love for the girl in his arms, broke their locked lips for a moment for them to catch their breath, and then redoubled his efforts. May's hands moved to the back of his head, pulling on his dark hair as they continued to let loose their passions though their mouths.

They were so involved with each other, that they didn't notice the door open or shut.

"Um, hello?" Ash's concentration was broken by Lily's voice. Ash and May opened their eyes, and saw each other blushing bright red. They stood their, lips still wedged together, and tongues tied. "If you two want to make out, you're going to have to do it later. The battle's almost ready to start. I'll be at the end of the hall, waiting for you two to get done in here." With that, Misty's pink-haired sister stepped out of the room.

Ash and May finally broke their kiss and looked into the corner at a cackling Pikachu. The small Pokémon was doubled over in a corner, laughing at the scene.

"What's so funny, Pikachu?" Ash asked, offended.

May put her hand on his cheek. "Hey, at least he didn't interrupt us," she smiled at him.

"I-I guess that's true…" Ash blushed.

"But, wow," May smiled at him wryly, "who'd have thought you'd be such a great kisser?"

"I think it's just beginner's luck," Ash modestly blushed.

"And I didn't think you'd actually try to kiss me that deeply," May blushed, winking at him.

Ash blushed redder. "I told you that I wanted to," he reminded her. He placed his hands on the sides of her face and smiled.

"Well, as much as I'd enjoy a repeat performance," May smiled, "don't we have a battle to get to?"

"Once more," Ash grinned. "For good luck."

"Alright," she sighed happily, parting her lips again for him as he drew himself closer.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentleman!" Daisy announced from the side of the arena. "Welcome to the Cerulean Gym and a very special match today! Please make sure you're on the correct side of the Gym. People here supporting Misty are on the side I'm on, and those supporting the challengers are on the opposite side." The lights began to dim at this time, setting the stage for the coming introductions.

Brock groaned. "Well, that explains why there's hardly anyone over here."

The Gym had been divided down the center, with the pool divided lengthwise. The side with Misty's supporters was filled to the brim, full of energetic fans, and cheering patrons. Tracey sat in the front of the crowd with his pencil and drawing pad, ready to sketch some of the impressive scenes from today's battle.

The most condensed area on the side for Ash and May, however, was the area that Brock, Max, Cyndi, Norman, Caroline, Jessie, James, Meowth, Raine and Joseph sat. There were a few other people around, but the area was populated sparsely, at best.

"And now, let me introduce your champions!" Daisy announceed, her gaze pointing at the northern side of the Gym. A screen unraveled from the ceiling, in preparation to show the points and time limit. "Hailing from the port city of Slateport in the faraway Hoenn Region, we have with us a coordinator of extraordinary talent. His abilities allowed him to reach the top sixteen of the Kanto Grand Festival. Please give a loud Cerulean cheer for- Harley!"

At the mention of his name, Harley stepped out of the door way. He made kissing motions towards the crowd that caused the girls on Misty's side to squeal out. He stepped up close to the pool and turned to the darkness behind him.

"Alright, I'm going to take this into my hands!" Cyndi leapt up and began running to the where the MC stood.

As she ran by, she bumped past a rather deject looking young man. As he stepped into the bleachers, everyone who knew him turned their eyes to him.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Drew asked.

The handsome coordinator had seen better days. His hair had obviously not been combed. The normally fetching mane now sat tossed about by the wind. Brock could make out various leaves caught in it. Drew's clothes were matted with dirt and mud. His pant legs in particular had soaked in the rain water and dirt. His emerald eyes were tinted red, and they seemed strained and lacking their usual vigor. Brock wasn't sure if they were red due to lack of sleep, or his tears.

"What do you even think you're doing here?" Max spat. "I didn't think you'd ever show your face again after what you did to my sister."

Drew's tired eyes returned to the verge of tears. He desperately tried to fight them back, turning his head from the child while clenching his eyes shut. "B-believe me," he managed to say, breathing rapidly, "I've never regretted anything more than this in my entire life."

Caroline felt a mix of rage and compassion for the defeated young man. Eventually, her mothering side won out. "You can sit next to me, Drew," she said.

"I don't deserve to sit next to the mother of the girl I betrayed," Drew declined her offer.

Max was about to make another remark at him, but he felt his conscience stab at him for even thinking about wanting to kick someone when they're down that low.

Drew shuffled down the bleachers and sat next to Jessie, in front of Brock. The breeder sat next to Max, who was next to Cyndi (before the girl dashed off) and behind James and Meowth. Raine sat next to her daughter's empty seat as her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulders from the other side. Delia nervously gnawed at her fingernails, waiting for Ash and May's turn from behind Brock. Caroline sighed at the apparent scatterbrained mother she was next to, but Norman to her side grinned, awaiting a great battle.

"And, now, I give you a trainer who needs no introduction!" Daisy called to the crowed. "It's my honor to introduce you to our Gym Leader and hostess. Please, give a shout out as loud as you can for Cerulean Gym's very own Misty!"

The red-headed Gym Leader smiled as she stepped out to face the crowd. She wore a different outfit. This one was a yellow sleeveless top on small, blue shorts. As she stepped out, her Azurill danced happily at her feet, before dashing across the Gym and leaping into Daisy's arms. Much of the crowd was hooting and hollering at the arrival of their champion, but some women in the crowd gave a few 'awwws' to Daisy and Misty's Azurill. Misty stood next to Harley and they gave each other an affirmative glance before they turned back to their supporters, incurring more cheers for their cause.

"And now, to introduce the chall-" Daisy began, before the mike was yanked from her hands.

"Not so fast!" Cyndi spoke into the mike she how held. "I'll introduce the next ones!"

"Give that here, you little brat!" Daisy snapped at the little girl.

"Wait!" Misty called to her sister. "Let her do the introductions. I'm sure she'll do a great job." Misty's older sister stood there pouting and holding Azurill as Cyndi smiled at Misty. The Gym Leader winked back at her, giving her the go ahead.

"The first half of the team comes from all the way from the distant Hoenn Region. She's got a pedigree for greatness: Her father is the powerful Gym Leader of Petalburg. Starting her journey with just a Torchic and a dream, this young coordinator dared to be great. In her first attempt at entering a Grand Festival in the Hoenn Region, she collected the five necessary ribbons and made it to the top sixteen, defeating one of her opponents today in the process." As Cyndi added the last part, Harley's face turned red with rage. He tried to keep his cool, and for now it was working. Cyndi grinned as the Cacturne-clad coordinator fumed. She continued. "Then she set her sites on our very own Kanto Grand Festival, and after winning some hotly contested battles, came into the top four in the Grand Festival, even beating Harley again, as well as her rival, a powerful coordinator known as Drew." The crowd let out a long series of gasps, feeling surprised that Misty's opponent would have such great credentials. "Please, it is my pleasure to introduce a rising star in the world of Pokémon Coordinating, as well as one of the greatest coordinators in the Kanto Region! Give it up for – May!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as the green and red clad coordinator ran into the Gym. She smiled and waved to the crowds. Boys from the crowd began whistling at her suggestively, causing her to blush.

"You're looking great, honey!" Caroline shouted to her daughter, unsure of whether or not her shout would make it though to her.

"Win this one for all of us, May!" Max shouted to his sister.

"Knock 'em dead, May!" Raine shouted at the top of her lungs. Joseph raised his eyebrow at his wife's interest in the battle.

May smiled across the pool at Misty and Harley. The Cerulean Gym Leader put a determined smile on her face, but her rival fumed at her from behind the red head.

"And now…" Cyndi began, waiting for the crowd to quiet down, "…her partner. He comes here from the small, humble hamlet of Pallet. This young man has competed in countless battles, relying on his friends and Pokémon to see him through. He has traveled the world with his closest friends. You may know some of them. Brock, the former Gym Leader of the Pewter City Gym. Tracey, assistant to the world famous Professor Oak. May, his team mate today whom I've already introduced, and yes, even Cerulean Gym's Misty. He competed in the Indigo League here in Kanto, taking the top sixteen in his first ever Pokémon League tournament. He then left for the Orange Islands to compete in the Orange League, and left not to long after he began there with the Championship in the Orange League and the winner's trophy. After defeating the expert Johto Gym Leaders, he competed in the Johto League Silver Conference where he took the top eight. But he strived to better himself as a trainer, so with only his starting Pikachu in tow, he journeyed to the Hoenn Region, where, using only said Pikachu and the new Pokémon he caught there, he again took the top eight. Now he's traveling in Kanto again, this time taking part in the arduous Battle Frontier. And he's only one Symbol away from winning, that too."

The crowd whispered amongst themselves. "This guy's been in the Battle Frontier? And he's almost won it?" "Top eight in two leagues? This guy's gonna be awesome!" "I hope he's cute! Pikachu is like the cutest thing ever!"

"It is with great honor that I accept the privilege of calling out such a magnificent Pokémon Trainer. So please, raise your voices as loud as they can! This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, battle fans. Now, let me introduce Pallet Town's very own Ash Ketchum!"

Ash ran out of the door he stood in waving his arms to the crowd and his mother as both began to cheer wildly. Pikachu sat on his shoulder waving as well, smiles on both of their faces. Girls in the crowd began screaming at the top of their lungs as the trainer made his way to May.

"I love you, Ash!" he heard Delia shout above the crowd. "Make your Mommy proud!"

"Good luck, Ash!" Brock shouted to him.

"We all know that you can win this, twerp!" Team Rocket shouted against the cheers and clapping of the crowd.

"Woooobuffet!" he added, popping out of his Pokéball into Drew's lap.

"We're finally here, Ash," May smiled at him.

"Yeah, and now we're going to be able to win this!" Ash grinned back. He turned to his partner. "Pikachu, go sit in the crowd. I'm not going to be able to use you in this."

"Pika!" he acknowledged. He leapt from Ash's shoulder and ran up the bleachers to sit in Delia's lap.

"Take it away, Daisy," Cyndi yelled into the microphone, tossing it back to the Cerulean Sister. The girl ran back to her spot in the bleachers next to Max, ignoring Drew altogether.

"Alright, let's get this battle underway. First, we need judges," she Daisy smiled at the crowd, still clutching Azurill. "Because Cerulean Gym doesn't have a regular judging staff for contests, we're going to appoint a judge, and then each side will be allowed to appoint a judge. Isn't that exciting?"

Ash's allies all began looking at each other. "One of us is going to have to be a judge?" Brock asked.

"Well, I'm sure I could do the job," Max tooted his own horn.

"Yes, but there might be a restriction on tiny twerps judging a competition," James snickered.

"Like you could do better," Max pulled on his ear.

"Hey! What're doing that for?" James shouted as he winced in pain. Brock sat back and snickered.

"First, the judge that will be a representative of neither side. Please welcome Cerulean's own Nurse Joy!" Daisy announced as Joy stepped into the arena, walking past Ash and May. She shot a nasty look at them, and then to Raine in the stands while she walked up to the judging booth set up next to the pool on Misty's side.

"Oh Lord," Raine sighed. "Why does this stuff always happen to me?"

"It's alright," Joseph tried to comfort her. "The other two judges can only be better than her." Cyndi and Max both booed the Nurse as she took her seat in the middle of the panel.

"And now, the adjudicator chosen by Misty and Harley. Please welcome Pallet's very own Professor Samuel Oak!" Daisy announced as the elderly man stepped into the arena amid clapping and cheers.

"Professor?" Ash asked him as he walked by. "Why are you judging for Misty?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't be mad, Ash," Oak sighed. "Misty asked me to be a judge for her, and I couldn't say no to such a rare opportunity."

"I'm not mad, Professor," Ash smiled at the elderly gentleman. "I'm glad we have someone we can rely on since that corrupt Joy is on the panel."

"I'll be as fair and balanced as I can be, I promise you," Oak bowed. He then made his way to the panel, where he sat on Joy's right.

"Why's Professor Oak judging for Misty?" Cyndi asked no one in particular.

"I bet Harley asked Misty to do it," Drew sneered across the Gym at him. "I bet he just wants to get everyone he can to turn on May."

"That's low…" Max growled from behind a hunched over James.

"Quick, take notes," he advised the other Rockets. "This kind of nastiness can come in handy later."

"And now, Ash and May," Daisy called to them, "have you chosen your judge?"

The two trainers got in a quick huddle. "Who are we gonna pick, May?" Ash asked his student.

"Well, why not Raine?" May asked. "She'd be a good counterbalance for Joy, plus she also knows a lot about fashion and stuff, what with being in the clothes business and all."

"Great idea, May," Ash agreed. May blushed and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

Daisy stepped over to them and handed May the mike. "Raine, will you be our judge?" she asked the mother, turning to her.

Raine's grimace from Joy's announcement turned into a wry grin, and then a beaming smile. "Of course!" Raine laughed, stepping down the bleachers. The crowd clapped for the middle aged woman as she walked around the Gym and gave Ash and May a hug when she got to them. "Thank you," she whispered. "I won't let you down."

"We never even thought you would, Raine," Ash smiled.

"Just do as well as we both know you can," May smiled.

Raine nodded and walked over to the judge's panel and sat on Joy's left. "Your little punks are gonna get schooled by Misty," Joy whispered so that only Raine could here.

"We'll see about that after Ash and May clean their clocks," Raine sneered.

* * *

**Now that all the prebattle preperations are done, we can get to the battle! I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Now I need to get finished WRITING Chapter 32! Stupid college work is slowing me down...**


	32. Combat

**Here it is. After weeks of training, stalling, and college work, I finally get you the battle I promised back in August. I hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

**

"And now," Daisy announced, "let me announce the rules! Each trainer will use only one Water-Type Pokémon. The winner will be decided when both of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, or should the battle last longer than the five minute time limit, the battle will be decided by who has the most points remaining." She glanced side to side at the trainers. "Are the trainers ready?"

"I'll give you one more chance to give in, May," Misty smiled from across the pool at them. "All you have to do is tell the truth, and we can still call the battle off." Surprise flashed over Harley's face.

May looked to Ash, her eyes uneasy. "I… I've not really wanted to do this battle, Ash," she admitted to him only. "A few days ago, I really considered following Misty's lie."

"May…" Ash sighed into her eyes.

"But that's the past! I know that as long as you're by my side, Ash, I'll be able to do anything! And I know that I can't hate Misty for thinking the way she does. All hate does is drive people away. So the only way to solve this is by winning this battle!" May had the look of the wild girl in her eyes. She was ready to fight her heart out for her friends. For her reputation. For him.

Ash smiled and nodded. "That's the high-flying spirit of May that I've come to expect from you. Now let's give this battle everything we've got!" He turned to the opposition. "Sorry, Misty, but you're gonna have to beat us to make us admit to your lie!"

Misty sighed and gave a chuckle. "Always doing things the hard way, huh, Ash? I'll fix you good!"

Harley stepped up next to her. "And with me as her partner, we can't lose. You're going to be brought to justice!"

"You may have your false justice, Harley," May grinned back at him, "but we've got something greater. We've got truth."

Daisy glanced to both sides, grinning excitedly. "Alright, then let's get this party started! Trainers, reveal your Pokémon!"

"Corphish, I choose you!" Ash shouted, tossing his Pokéball into the air.

"Squirtle, take the stage!" May tossed her Pokéball as well.

"Take this at your own pace, Octillery!" Harley kissed his Pokéball before sending it flying.

"Gyarados, go!" Misty tossed hers in.

From their side, May saw her and Ash's familiar Pokémon make their stylish entrances. Squirtle spun in his shell, popping each limb out one by one, ending with his head. Corphish preformed his somersault, landing gracefully. She saw Harley's Pokéball open up, and the red octopus Pokémon spun out and landed on a platform. He stared back at his foes rather vacantly. From Misty's Pokéball, however, came what May feared the most. The large, blue sea serpent Pokémon splashed into the water, and then leapt out again, causing a huge splash in the pool that shook the floating platforms that Corphish, Octillery, and Squirtle stood upon. He roared at May, causing her to cringe.

"Don't be afraid, May," Ash called to her, leaping to the platform behind Corphish. "If you're afraid, then Squirtle will be, too."

"Alright, I can be brave!" May forced herself. She jumped to the platform Ash stood upon as well, ready to battle.

"Good Luck, Ash!" Delia shouted to her son. "I'm rooting for you. Don't let Mommy down!"

"We're all rooting for you," Brock added.

"Show Misty what the Battle Frontier is all about!" Cyndi shouted to her idol. Ash smiled back at his friends and gave them a thumbs-up.

"Don't be intimidated by Misty's Pokémon," Norman called to his daughter. "Size means nothing in a battle."

"Knock 'em on their butts, sis!" Max shouted.

May smiled at her family, but then caught the sight of the green-haired boy sitting among them.

"You can beat these chumps, May!" Drew shouted. "I believe in you!"

"C'mon, twoip team!" Meowth stood, facing Ash and May's supporters, "let's get a cheer going!"

"Drew?" May asked, turned to see the boy in the stands, cheering for her. She completely tuned out Meowth's comment. In the pit of her stomach, she felt a sick feeling rising. She felt her fear coming back. May began to shiver at the sight of the coordinator.

"May…" Ash said, taking her by the hand.

"I'll be fine, Ash," May smiled at him. She turned her gaze at to Drew and continued speaking to Ash. "I just have to speak with him once this is all over."

"Alright. I understand," Ash smiled at her. "Now let's get this battle started!"

"Alright, timer ready!" Daisy announced as the screen that had unrolled previously lit up with the display. A picture of Ash with a yellow points meter was positioned over an outdated picture of May, also with her own points meter. On the left side of the screen, Misty and Harley's pictures were set up similarly, with their own points meters as well.

"Let's get busy!" Daisy shouted, signaling the beginning of the battle.

"Octillery, Fire Blast!" Harley ordered.

"Gyarados, Flamethrower!" Misty followed up.

The fiery kanji symbol that Octillery blasted from his mouth was pushed ahead and expanded by the flamethrower from Gyarados.

"Corphish, nullify it with Bubblebeam!" Ash commanded.

"Help out Corphish with Water Gun!" May told her Squirtle.

Corphish unleashed a dazzling array of bubbles from his claws toward the incoming inferno. Squirtle leapt behind him and used his Water Gun to push the bubbles ahead at a higher velocity.

Both combination attacks struck each other in the middle of the pool. Ash looked through the haze created by the combination of fire and water, and saw that everyone's points had taken a small hit.

Misty peered though the haze, searching for her opponents. After it cleared, Misty saw Ash and May, but their Pokémon were nowhere to be seen.

"Corphish, Vicegrip!" Ash shouted, taking Harley by surprise. The ruffian Pokémon jumped from the water to Octillery, closing his claw around his snout.

"Octillery, shake that thing off with Sludge Bomb!" Harley commanded his Water-Type. Octillery attempted to fire, but the pressure made by the Sludge Bomb wasn't enough to shake Corphish. On the screen, Harley's points decreased slightly.

"Gyarados, use Headbutt to knock Corphish off of Octillery!" Misty ordered her aptly classified Atrocious Pokémon. Gyarados charged towards Corphish as the crustacean turned to see his attacker.

"Corphish, fling Octillery at Gyarados!" Ash ordered. Obeying his command, Corphish attempted to lift Octillery off the ground, but found that the Pokémon was somehow stuck to the ground.

Harley shook his finger at Ash. "That's not gonna work, Ashy. Octillery's suction cups make him stick to the ground. Your Corphish can't pull him up." Ash grunted as he saw his points decrease.

Seeing Gyarados rushing toward Corphish, May leapt into action. "Squirtle," she ordered, "use Ice Beam to make a wall to stop Gyarados!"

Squirtle rose to the surface and fired an Ice Beam at the water in front of Gyarados. As he raised the beam up slowly, an ice barrier formed in front of the Water-and-Flying Type. Misty only smirked as Gyarados charged through the ice, smashing it effortlessly.

"No way," May said to herself, watching her points decrease slightly.

Gyarados smashed his head into Corphish, causing him to lose his grip and get knocked into the water. Ash's points decreased by about one-fourth as his Pokémon fell in.

"Corphish, get back up and use Bubblebeam!" Ash called to him.

Corphish poked his head out of the water again and fired a Bubblebeam at Gyarados. Too large to escape properly, Gyarados took the attack at close range. Misty's points dropped.

"Octillery, constrict Corphish!" Harley ordered his Pokémon. The Jet Pokémon leapt onto Corphish, squeezing him tightly with his tentacles.

"Corphish, beat him off with Crabhammer!" Ash told his Water-Type.

His claws glowing sky-blue, he began to harshly pound against the Pokémon attached to his face. Octillery cried out as he released Ash's Corphish, causing Harley's points to drop. The octopus dropped into the pool, sinking beneath the waters.

Ash was ready to take this opportunity. "Corphish, chase it! Don't let Octillery escape!" His water-type agreed, and dove to chase him.

"Gyarados, use Hyper Beam on Squirtle!" Misty called, hoping to catch the coordinator off guard.

"Squirtle, Withdraw, quick!" May called. The beam fired from Gyarados' mouth and smashed into her small Pokémon. Squirtle's shell flipped through the air away from the large splash caused by the energy smashing into the water. Misty and May's points both fell slightly. The shell fell into the water without moving, due to the tiny turtle Pokémon's fear.

"Octillery!" Harley shouted. At his trainer's call, Octillery sprung to life and leapt out of the water, zipping quickly past the surprised Corphish.

"Gyarados, Whirlpool!" Misty ordered. At that command, Gyarados dove under the waves and began circling Corphish and Squirtle at a high speed, creating a current to snare them.

"Squirtle, swim away!" May called to her Pokémon. But the small Water-type was too afraid to get out.

"This is bad," Brock sat up. "Ash and May are losing points for every second that Squirtle and Corphish are stuck underwater. If they don't act fast, they could lose the match!"

"C'mon, Ash!" Max called.

"Do something, May!" Cyndi chimed in.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu called from Delia's lap.

Ash called to Corphish. "Grab Squirtle and try to get to the surface!"

Corphish nodded, although it was under the same stress as the withdrawn Pokémon. He swam with the current to speed himself to Squirtle. Corphish stretched out his claw as far as he could, but he kept missing the shell as it also spun in the whirlpool created by Gyarados. Pushing with just a bit more effort, Corphish was able to grab Squirtle in his right pincer. The ruffian Pokémon began his journey to the surface.

"Great job, Corphish," Ash commended his Water-Type, striking a pose. Just then, a wave created by Gyarados' whirlpool shot at the platform that Ash and May were standing on. The wave shook the platform vigorously. The coordinator was able to keep her balance, but Ash, who was in his victory pose, was knocked off and fell into the rapid waters of the Whirlpool.

"Ash!" May and Misty shouted.

"Cut out the whirlpool, Misty!" May ordered the Gym Leader. She turned to the judges. "Pause the clock!" She then turned to the water and leapt into the whirlpool.

"Gyarados, turn around and nullify the whirlpool!" Misty shouted. Her Pokémon obeyed her command and began to break the current he created.

The current dissolving around her, May swam as quickly as she could to the trainer as he sunk into the pool. She eyed Corphish and Squirtle as they rose to the surface, not aware of Ash's tumble. She approached the trainer and found him out of breath. She grabbed his arm and began to pull him up, hoping that she could get him to the surface fast enough before any permanent damage was done.

Harley watched and sneered. _This is my opportunity,_ he decided. He snapped his fingers to Octillery, who immediately turned his head down to aim at May. A few moments of energy building later, and he fired a powerful beam of energy at the girl below. May saw it coming only too late and in an attempt to spare Ash any further harm, turned her back to the beam. The beam struck her in the back, causing her to shout into the water in pain. Her air leaving her lungs, she dropped Ash and began to black out under the water.

On the surface, the crowd was becoming privy to Harley's actions. A loud chorus of boos began to flood the arena, aimed at the him. Misty's gaze was fixed on him, her expression a mixture of surprised and appalled.

"What the Hell did you just do!" Misty shouted at him, grabbing him by the collar. "Why did Octillery attack them?" Her eyes began to water, but the Gym Leader felt only rage, not sadness.

"I-It's not my fault!" Harley pleaded fearfully. "Octillery must have gotten confused." He tried to laugh it off. "One too many conks on the noggin from Crabhammer."

Misty growled and tossed Harley to the ground. She turned and leapt into the water.

"I think the judges should do something about this!" Joseph's voice rang out. The doctor looked to his colleges. Delia had fainted, and Caroline was doing her best to calm an enraged Norman. Max placed his arm around a frightened Cyndi. The girl was afraid that her idol's life may have been taken in the blast. Brock sat grimacing, while the Rocket Trio all looked nervously at the pool. Everyone was so preoccupied that none of them noticed when two additional splashes were made in the pool.

Determined to make things right after he had betrayed her trust, Drew swam toward where May and Ash had fallen. Glancing over, he saw that Pikachu had followed him. Neither curious nor suspicious of the Pokémon's intentions, Drew nodded to him, leading the way to where their friends lay. Once Drew had arrived, he had a choice to make. He decided that he would try to take Ash to the surface, and directed Pikachu to May. He pulled on the trainer's arm and began to bring him to the surface. He glanced back and saw that Pikachu was having trouble pushing May to the surface. Cursing his luck, Drew almost turned back to try and bring all three of them to the surface until he saw Misty herself swim down and grab May by the shoulders. He smiled to the Gym Leader as they both pulled them to the surface.

Drew pulled Ash onto the side of the pool and looked around for paramedics, first aid, anyone that could help him. Knowing that the youth who held May's heart depended upon him to survive, Drew pressed his open lips against Ash's and began to breath into his lungs. Coming back up for a breath, he pressed his hands against Ash's lungs forcefully.

"Out with the bad air, in with the good," Drew told himself.

Misty had already stretched May out and began to resuscitate her with Pikachu assisting her by pressing against May's chest. "C'mon," Misty cried to herself. "I may have wanted you gone, but not like this."

Harley stood dumbfounded as the boos and the insults continued to be hurled at him. _What are Drew and Misty doing?_ he pondered to himself in disbelief. _Why are they trying to save the lives of the people that took so much from them?_

Delia ran down the bleachers to her fallen son. "No," she whispered to herself. "No, don't take him…" She kneeled by Drew and gave him help by breathing into her son's mouth to revive him.

May began to cough up the pool water into Misty's mouth. The Gym Leader gave a sigh of relief, spitting the water into the pool as May opened her eyes.

"Pikapika!" Pikachu nuzzled against her chest.

May sat up and saw the person who saved her. After coughing and breathing for a moment, she said, "Thank you, Misty."

Misty smiled. "I'm just glad you're alright." She extended her hand and helped the Coordinator to her feet. May stood, holding Pikachu in her arms. "You taught me an important lesson, May," Misty told her. "I know that I can't hate you for doing what you do."

"Misty," May blinked at her. May face turned to a smile. "I'm glad we can be friends again, Misty."

"Wait a second!" Harley stomped over to Misty and May. "What are you talking about, 'You're glad she's alright?' Don't you remember the things she did to Ash?"

Misty calmly looked into May's eyes. "Ash still needs help."

May blushed in surprise. "Oh, no! Ash!" May turned around and dashed to where her rival and Delia stood over him.

Misty turned to Harley. "I can't hate her, Harley," she confided in him. "If I hate her, then I'll start to hate her family, and her friends. I'll eventually hate Ash, the one I wanted to protect in the first place."

"We just need to beat them, and then May will have to depart from Ash out of shame!" Harley reminded her.

"_I guarantee you, after all of this is over, even with the smear campaign, and regardless of how the battle goes, if Ash and May want to be together, they will be."_ The words of Brock echoed in Misty's mind. "_And they will both still want to be your friend, regardless of the mean things you may do right now."_

"C'mon!" Harley shook her back into reality. "We need to win this?"

"Harley," Misty stopped him, "why do you want to win so badly?"

"What?" Harley raised his eyebrow. "Why do I want to win?"

"Yes," Misty responded. "Why?"

"May needs to be put in her place," he responded furiously. "After all the cruel things she's done, she deserves humiliation and suffering!"

Misty reflected on this. _But if May was telling me the truth, then does that mean Harley is lying? No. No, I can't turn on my judgments. I have to stick with my decision. Even if it is wrong. _"You're right, I'm sorry, Harley," Misty sighed. "I can't let my compassion get in the way of my justice."

* * *

"Ash, please…" May pressed her hands against his chest. "Please don't… Not after you saved me before…"

Delia looked up. "What do you mean, saved you before?"

Her eyes tearing up, May let the story spill. "When we were falling from one of Team Rocket's mechas, Ash used Swellow to slow down our fall and guide us to a lake in the forest. He… he got hurt because of it," the coordinator sniffled.

"Hurt?" Delia's eyes widened. "How did he get hurt?"

"Swellow's talons cut through his shirt and his shoulders," May sobbed. She lowered her mouth to his and breathed into his mouth, trying to resuscitate him. She came up and continued to press against his chest. "He never told anyone except Brock because he was worried what people would think about a trainer getting hurt by his own Pokémon."

May heard coughing come from the boy as she pressed his chest. Ash slowly opened his eyes to see his mother and May looking down at him.

"What happened?" Ash asked, sitting up. "I remember cheering Corphish on, but then I-" he was cut off by May throwing her arms around him.

"Th-thank goodness you're alright," she cried into his chest.

"I don't understand," Ash said to her. "Why are you crying? What happened?"

His mother stood up. "You almost drowned, son!" she chastised him. She then melted back into her maternal love. "But I'm glad you're safe.

Drew had stepped back as soon as May arrived at Ash's side. He watched her worry about him. He watched her cry. He saw her relief when she learned he was okay. He smiled. _I may have lost my chance with May, but as long as she's happy with Ash, I can live with that._ he declared to himself. He stepped past her and back into the bleachers, this time next to Brock.

"So, why'd you do it?" Brock asked Drew as the coordinator sat.

"Someone had to get in there and save them," he flicked his wet hair.

"Do you think this redeems you?" Brock asked back.

Drew's expression darkened slightly. "No. I guess it doesn't. But that doesn't matter. I can regret what I did for the rest of my life, and I will, but I can't change the past. All I can do is live my life as best as I can. Besides, as the saying goes," he added, looking down to May watching her help Ash up, "you can't win 'em all."

"The trainers are okay!" Daisy announced to the crowd as Ash and May returned to their side of the pool to be greeted by a happy Squirtle and Corphish.

"Yes," Professor Oak announced over the speaker on his desk, "but there is still the matter of what happened during the incident. It is the decision of the judges that Harley's Octillery acted out of disobedience. Since such an occurrence is unprofessional in a battle, the judges have decided to deduct fifty percent of Harley's starting points from his current total."

Harley looked up at the board in fear. His points sat precariously just above the halfway mark before the draining began. He felt his chance at revenge slipping away as the meter emptied. His heart skipped a beat when his points stopped decreasing, leaving him with only a minute sliver of his original total.

The crowd on both sides cheered loudly as Raine stuck her tongue out at Joy, who quietly fumed at the development. Such a compromise was all she was able to get out of Oak or Raine. _At least he still has a chance to win_, she fumed.

Ash took a moment to look at the display. Harley had barely any points remaining, but Misty still had over three-fourths of hers left. In contrast, he and May both had about half of their points remaining, with the Coordinator having a bit above half, and Ash having less than half. The timer was stuck at 3:06, when he apparently hit the water.

"Are you ready to continue?" Daisy asked Ash's side.

_All we have to do is cause Harley to lose just a few more points, and then it's over for him. With a two on one advantage, Misty shouldn't last much longer. And just as long as we can keep the point advantage, we can win this!_ Ash thought triumphantly. He whispered his plan to May, who smiled in agreement.

"Alright, we're ready!" May shouted back. "Let's get the battle back on!"

"Awesome!" Daisy shouted into the mike. "Now, contestants, continue the battle!"

* * *

**And you all thought this would all be battle, huh? The climactic finish of the battle comes in Chapter 33, and the story will probably end in Chapter 34.**

**Until Friday, everyone, get Pokémon!**


	33. Climax

**The battle that can't be lost continues... Who will be the final victor?**

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* * *

**

"Corphish, get in close to Octillery!" Ash ordered as his Water-type dove into the waters.

"Misty, if I lose any more points, I'm out of the match!" Harley pleaded with his partner. "A two-on-one battle is not very good odds."

"I agree," Misty nodded. "Gyarados, intercept Corphish!"

May sat and looked at the battlefield. She knew that Misty's Gyarados was the key to the battle. Defeat him, and Misty's battle effort would be obliterated. However, Gyarados was also more powerful than Corphish or Squirtle. And as long as Harley's Octillery was providing cover fire, victory seemed like a long shot. She knew that she had to do something with the time remaining slowly draining. She looked to the water, and at Gyarados. She had a plan.

"Corphish, jump!" Ash shouted. Just as Gyarados began to rise from the depths to attack him, the Ruffian Pokémon leapt on to his head and then off of him. "Alright! Now use that momentum to power up your Crabhammer!"

Corphish wound back his claw and it began to take on the familiar white glow that had become associated with the attack. Focusing more on pure power than looks, Corphish was putting all of his muscle in the maneuver.

"Octillery, Sludge Bomb!" Harley panicked. His Pokémon obeyed, aiming skyward toward Corphish.

"Harden!" Ash shouted. "Dive through it!" The Water-Type shone with a bright orange glow as the sludge exploded against him, slowing his fall down, but not seriously injuring the Pokémon.

"Gyarados, now!" Misty shouted. Gyarados lurched his head out of the water, and fired a beam of concentrated energy at Ash's Pokémon.

"Ash, watch out for Hyper Beam!" Brock shouted from the stands.

"Corphish, knock the Hyper Beam at Octillery!" Ash commanded.

Corphish began spinning in circles while air born. He smashed the Hyper Beam with his glowing claw, changing its course toward Gyarados' team mate.

"Octillery, get out of there!" Harley shouted.

The blast came into contact with Octillery's large head and knocked the Pokémon beneath the waters. He quickly reemerged, worn but ready to continue. However, that blast knocked the remainder of Harley's points out, causing him to lose the match. Surprisingly to Ash, neither his nor Misty's points had been affected during that exchange. However, May's points had slightly gone down. He saw the reason as He turned to his side of the pool.

"Harley's points are depleted! Octillery must be removed from the battle!" Daisy shouted into the mike amid the cheers from Ash's side while Misty's fans jeered the decision.

"Return," Harley grunted as he stepped back from the pool. "It's all up to you, Misty. Only you can defeat them and save Ash from May."

"Right," Misty nodded. "I'll do my best."

"Your Gyarados is stronger then both of their Pokémon. You should have an easy time if you take out Corphish, first." He smiled. Even with his defeat, Corphish stood wheezing. The Ruffian Pokémon was winded, and Squirtle only seemed to be firing his Ice Beam aimlessly, causing his trainer to lose points.

It was then that he and Misty both realized what May was doing.

Squirtle stood fairly close to where May stood, using his Ice Beam to freeze the pool. Nearly all of Ash and May's side of the pool was frozen.

Ash leaned back towards May. "What's the plan, May? Why are you freezing the pool?"

"Gyarados can't walk on solid surfaces like our Pokémon can," May told him. "If we can freeze the pool, then Gyarados won't be able to fight back as easily. We'll have him immobilized, and then we can defeat Misty. After she goes down, Harley'll have to come forward and admit that he lied to her."

"Gyarados, melt the ice with Flamethrower!" they turned as Misty shouted.

"Corphish, guard the ice with Bubblebeam!" Ash shouted. As Gyarados opened his maw and shot flames from it, Corphish opened his claws and intercepted the fire from the side, cutting off the Flamethrower, and denting Misty's points.

"You've got to run interference while I freeze the water around Gyarados," May whispered to Ash.

"Alright, Corphish, go in for a Vicegrip!" Ash shouted.

Corphish leapt at Gyarados, his pincer ready to grab the whisker of the Atrocious Pokémon. Gyarados leaned his head out of the way, and slapped Corphish back with his tail. The Ruffian Pokémon came back up for more, firing Bubblebeam at Misty's Pokémon. Gyarados fired back with Hydro Pump, but Corphish was able to dodge by heading underwater as the sheet of ice that was expanding across the pool grew over him. Gyarados and Misty stood stunned as the water around the Pokémon froze, immobilizing him. Corphish broke through the ice close to Ash and May and stood next to Squirtle.

Shooting his glance at the scoreboard, Ash saw that Misty's points stood somewhere between three-fourths and half. He was never good at fractions. May's points, however, were below Ash's at about one-forth, with Ash's standing at a point between Misty and May's. _I knew I should have paid more attention at school,_ he sighed to himself.

"Let's try a combination of Bubblebeam and Ice Beam!" May shouted. Responding to the Coordinator's call, Corphish fired his Bubblebeam towards the struggling Gyarados. Squirtle used Ice Beam to freeze the bubbles as they flew towards Gyarados. The combination was immediately recognizable to Ash, Drew, and Cyndi as the technique used to defeat May's Squirtle a few days ago. The orbs of ice smashed into Gyarados, knocking him backwards against the ice. The Poké struggled to come back to an upright position, but managed to come to one.

"Gyarados, use Hyper Beam to smash the ice!" Misty shouted. Gyarados fired the red-and-orange beam at the ice, smashing it and freeing himself. "Now bring it up to Squirtle!" Gyarados drug the beam up, smashing through the ice, leaving it in floes that floated upon the water. As the beam approached, Squirtle and Corphish both darted out of the way. Gyarados swung the beam towards Squirtle, attempting to bring the match with May to a close.

"Corphish, Bubblebeam!" Ash commanded. Corphish, in a desperate bid to save Squirtle, fired the beams at Gyarados. Once he had the dragon Pokémon's attention, he taunted him. Gyarados, enraged, began charging at Corphish with a Headbutt. Corphish jumped at Gyarados with his claw glowing. The two attacks smashed into each other at the same time, knocking Gyarados into the water and sending Corphish flying onto the ice. After tumbling backwards, Corphish laid on his back, a dazed look on his eyes.

A loud, buzzing sound rang though the arena as Oak and Joy's panels lit up with a bright red X. Raine, huffing, also pressed the buzzer on her panel. "Corphish is no longer able to battle!" Daisy shouted.

Ash grunted as his face on the scoreboard dimmed, similar to Harley's had done after he was defeated. "Corphish, Return!" Ash ordered. He held the ball to his face. "You did a great job, Corphish. Take a rest." Ash turned to May, a grin on his face. "I'm sure that you and Squirtle can win this one. Just go in with everything you have."

"I'm not sure I can, Ash," May looked disheartened at Corphish's defeat. "Squirtle doesn't have the power to go head to head with Gyarados."

"But you proved that you can think outside of the box," Ash placed his hands on her shoulders. "Freezing the battlefield was a great idea. It's that kind of ingenuity that will help you beat Misty."

"Are you sure?" May looked into his auburn eyes, still wavering between weakness and strength.

"Positive," Ash smiled. "Now show them what a top four in the Grand Festival is worth!"

"C'mon sis!" Max shouted. "You can do it!"

"We believe in you, honey!" Caroline shouted.

"You're doing great. Keep it up!" Brock added.

"You've got to avenge Corphish!" Cyndi shouted, tears in her eyes.

"Show that red-head who's boss, head-kerchief girl!" Jessie shouted.

"After all the times you've beaten us, we know you'll be able to pull through," James put in.

"That's right!" Meowth leapt up. Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. also shouted in approval.

"May," Norman stood up. "You've been doing a great job. I'm very proud of how far you've come since you started your journey. This is an obstacle, just like your opponents in your other Contest Battles. And you still win despite overwhelming odds. This battle should be no different. I know you'll win."

Drew didn't say anything. He saw May's eyes meet his, and knew she could hear more from that than he could ever say.

"Everyone's behind you, May," Ash said to her, as she turned her head back to him. "And here." He moved his face to hers and placed as small, well controlled peck on her cheek. Pulling back, he smiled and blushed. "For good luck."

"Thanks, Ash," May blushed and smiled at him as he walked away from the pool. She faced down her opponent. "You've got your wish, Misty. It's just you and me, now."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Misty smirked. "Now all I've gotta do is knock out Squirtle for the win."

May glanced at the scoreboard. Her points stood at one-fourth, and Misty still had a tiny bit over half. With one minute and thirty seconds remaining, she would have to work quickly. "I'm not gonna just curl up and lose, Misty," May fired back. "Squirtle and I can win this battle!"

"After I defeat you, you'll have to hold up your end of the bet and admit to all of the horrible things you've done to Ash," Misty responded. "Your reign of wickedness is over."

"The only wicked person here is Harley, and you know it!" May shot at her. "All of the evidence points to him doing what ever it takes to win this battle. He even attacked Ash and I! What more do you need?"

"I need to win this battle so that you can't lie any more! "Gyarados, melt the rest of the ice with Flamethrower!" Misty shouted.

"Defend with Water Gun!" May shouted. The flames that poured from Gyarados' mouth were quenched by Squirtle's Water Gun before they could even touch the ice, creating small haze in the middle of the arena. "Freeze more of the pool, Squirtle!" May shouted. The tiny turtle Pokémon froze the parts of the pool that had been broken by Gyarados, but the Water-Flying type thrashed about the pool, making it impossible to freeze it again.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Misty called. Gyarados sprayed high pressured water out of his mouth, smashing through the ice like a piece of stale bread. The Gym Leader looked up to her opponent. "No wonder you became a coordinator. You'd never stand a chance in a Gym Battle."

May grunted. "Squirtle, use Bubble!" Squirtle took in a breath, and sprayed a shower of bubbles in the direction of Gyarados. The dragon-like Pokémon blocked the bubbles with his tail, grinning at the small Pokémon's attempts to defeat him. "Ice Beam!" May ordered her ace attack. Squirtle fired the beam at Gyarados' tail, freezing it solid in a block of ice.

"Gyarados, smash it against the ice, and then create a whirlpool!" Misty shouted. Her Pokémon did just that, reducing May's handiwork to chunks of ice floating atop the water. The large Pokémon dove underwater and began to swim in circles, rapidly. The ice floe that Squirtle stood on flipped, knocking the small Pokémon into the water.

"Why don't you just give up, May?" Misty taunted her from the other side of the field. "I don't wanna put Squirtle through any more pain."

May watched as Squirtle tried to swim against the powerful current to no avail. Try as he might, the small Water Pokémon was being pulled into the middle of the rapidly spinning vortex. _That's it!_ May shouted in her mind. She looked up to Misty. "I'm not gonna give up, and neither is Squirtle. We'll beat you, Misty, and then Harley will have to admit his lies across the loud speaker on the Gym, just like you were gonna have me do!"

Misty nodded. "Fair enough. But with so little time and points remaining, you better come up with something quick."

"Squirtle, swim to the center of the whirlpool!" May shouted. Hearing his trainer's command, Squirtle turned around and began swimming into the middle.

"What are you doing?" Misty shouted. "Squirtle's just gonna get hurt more!"

May listened to the crowd as they all shouted things to her. From Misty's side, she heard calls for her surrender. From her side, she heard shouts of encouragement. But the voice that called from behind her was the most important.

"C'mon, May!" Ash shouted from behind her. "You can still win this! Show Misty what being a coordinator is all about!"

She smiled to herself, silently thanking Ash for his support, even in the hardest times such as these. She looked up to see that Squirtle had arrived at his position. "Dive in there deeper, Squirtle!" May shouted. Her Pokémon obeyed, diving in further into the pool. "Now, take control of the whirlpool by using Rapid Spin in the same direction as the whirlpool's going!"

Her Pokémon obeyed her command, and began spinning in the middle of the whirlpool. Instead of dispelling it by rotating the direction inverse of it, Squirtle amplified its power by spinning with it. The speed of the current increased, and Gyarados found himself unable to keep up. The water he had used to wash Squirtle away had began to wash him away instead. Unable to control his speed, Gyarados was paralyzed under the force of his own attack.

"Spin faster!" May called. Her small Pokémon gave its Rapid Spin all he could. The waters from the pool began splashing out, drenching Tracey and all of his sketches. Misty and May also got wet, as did Ash and Harley who stood off to the side as the girls battled.

"Gyarados, get out of there!" Misty called desperately.

Squirtle had begun spinning so quickly that he had exposed himself to the air once again. "Now, freeze the pool like this with an Ice Beam from all the holes in your shell!" May called. Spinning into the air, Squirtle began to fire Ice Beam from every possible point in his shell. The water froze beautifully, capturing the power and speed of the whirlpool frozen solid in only a moment's time. The current, however, still flowed under the ice, and all of the spectators could see Misty's powerful Gyarados being spun around the pool by his own attack.

"Gyarados, come on!" Misty shouted, attempting to reach him through the ice.

The Atrocious Pokémon, however, was unable to respond. With several loud crashes, Gyarados smashed against the rocks at the bottom of the pool. The current slowed down, but Gyarados didn't try to swim up. The Water-and-Flying type floated to the ice-covered surface, a glazed over look in his eyes.

The loud buzzing sound came again, this time, only from Oak's pedestal. Raine and Joy sat too stunned to respond. Quickly jumping up, Raine also chimed in with the red X display. Crying, Joy let her head fall down and slam the button.

Quickly collecting herself, Daisy shook off the shock and began speaking into the microphone. "You've seen it before your own eyes! Gyarados is unable to battle!" The score display showed Misty's portrait dim. The Water-Type trainer still had a small amount of points more than May did. The display changed to show the portraits of Ash and May, side by side, above the portraits of their Pokémon. "The winners of this battle are Ash from Pallet Town and May from Petalburg City!"

"We did it!" May shouted, running across the ice to her Squirtle. She slid down where the whirlpool once stood, and grabbed him in her arms. "You were great! That was your greatest battle yet!"

Misty fell to her knees. _I… I couldn't save him… I'm so sorry, Ash…_

She then felt a hand on her back. "Don't be sad, Misty," Ash comforted her. "You put up a great battle."

"Ash…" Misty looked into his auburn eyes. "Tell me the truth. Did Swellow hurt you and cause your shoulders to bleed?"

Ash looked into her cerulean blue eyes. He knew he couldn't lie again. Not after all the trouble that had been cause by his last lie. "…Yeah. May and I-"

"You don't have to tell me," Misty began to cry. "May already did."

"I know," Ash rubbed her back. "But why didn't you believe her?"

"Because I didn't hear it from you, Ash," Misty looked at his face. "You didn't tell me anything was wrong. I thought we were best friends. Why didn't you tell me?" She was getting more upset just thinking about what had happened.

"The only other people that knew from the start were May and Brock," Ash tried to explain. "I was worried that if you knew, then my Mom would find out, and then she'd never leave me alone. Getting injured by your own Pokémon isn't something that Pokémon Masters have happen to them." He took his hand off her back and crouched down to look her in the face. "But that doesn't change the fact that I should have told you. You are one of my best friends, and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner."

"Misty…" said May, walking over from where she and Squirtle climbed out of the pool. "Are you okay?"

Misty sniffled for a moment. "I… I want to apologize. I'm sorry I never believed you both. I was just jealous that May is able to travel when I can't. I guess I just wanted her to leave so I could move back in."

"Misty, you're always welcome to join us," May kneeled down to face Misty. "I mean, you wouldn't mind, right Ash?"

"Of course not. We'll always be friends, Misty," Ash smiled. "If you want to come with us, be our guest!"

"You two…" Misty sniffled. She flung her arms around both Ash and May and hugged them tightly. "You two are the best. I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

"Thanks Misty," May said, looking over to Harley, "but now we have other business to attend to."

"That's right," Ash said. "Harley needs to admit to his lies."

"Yeah…" Misty said, standing up. "Harley, come here."

The coordinator had almost snuck out of the room, but knowing he couldn't refuse Misty, he grudgingly walked over to the trio, complete with an incredibly false smile on his face.

Misty called Daisy over and gave the microphone to Harley. "Alright, Harley," Misty said, a part of her still believing that Harley's story was true, "tell everyone the truth about May and your relationship with her."

Startling Misty slightly, Harley began laughing maniacally. "Tell you the truth you say? I guess it can't hurt now." He turned to the crowd. "After all, all of the fans deserve to know why this battle took place, don't they?"

"You better not lie again, Harley…" May growled at him.

"Why would I lie? What more could I do to disprove you?" Harley said to them. "You folks already don't like me with the stunt I pulled with Octillery earlier in the match, do you?" he snickered at them. "This entire match was based on a lie."

The crowd let out several stunned shouts. Misty felt a part of her break off inside. What she believed about May was entirely a fabrication. Misty felt sadness for only a moment before it was quickly replaced by rage. The angry Gym Leader began to move forward, but was stopped by Ash and May holding her arms back.

Harley continued. "I came here and told your precious Misty a lie, and she believed it! She must have been looking really hard for a reason to hate May." The booing intensified, but that didn't stop Harley. He took pleasure in humiliating the Cerulean Gym Leader. "I can't believe such a naïve girl is the Cerulean Gym Leader," he chuckled. "I guess I'd understand, though, if my crush started handing out with someone else."

Ash, May, and Misty all cringed, as well as Drew, back in the stands. "I wasn't crushing on Ash, Harley!" Misty shouted at him. "We're just good friends." Tracey smiled to himself when he heard that.

"Then why did you let yourself be fooled?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

"Because Ash was hurt really badly, and he didn't tell anyone," Misty shot back, catching Harley by surprise. "You're the only person to tell me something, and I was so worried that I believed you."

"That's your own mistake," Harley smiled. "I myself didn't need a reason to hate May. From the humiliation she's given me in the Hoenn and Kanto Grand Festivals, I've been itching for a chance at revenge. It was all too easy to step in when you wanted a battle with May. I just had to wait for dense ol' Ash to want to defend May, like her knight in ratty armor. From then on, I just had to work in the background," he explained. "I can't believe how brutally naïve and trusting some of your friends are, Ash!" he laughed.

"Hey, don't talk about my friends like that!" Ash shouted. Pikachu ran from the stands to his side, sparking threateningly at Harley.

"Can't help it if it's true," he sneered at the boy. "The events of yesterday were all going according to plan. I told Misty to go on her little picnic to relax, and I used this time to influence poor, neglected, ignored Drew. He was really jealous of you, Ash." In the stands, Drew recoiled. Everyone in the stands looked at him, knowing that Harley spoke the truth. "I was really fortunate that Drew himself was close to the woods when you and May had you're little lunch. It made all the difference in the world, trust me."

"You… you…" May stepped up. "I'd call you a monster, but that would insult the Pokémon! I don't know what to call you!"

"Why not 'genius,' then?" Harley mocked her. "I convinced Drew to have that dinner with you, and I was going to have Misty meet up with Ash at your little friend's house, but she wasn't quick enough and Ariados enacted the next part of my plan too quickly." He then looked to the audience on Ash and May's side. "This is when things started to unravel. I asked those Rocket Goons to help me ruin your chances at winning, but they refused ."

"Hey!" Meowth jumped up.

"We're not goons!" James shouted.

"Please, you two couldn't catch Pikachu with a Master Ball while he's asleep!" Harley snickered back.

Jessie began to approach him, but Brock pushed her back into her seat. "Let's let him finish before we rip him limb from limb."

"What freaks me out even more is the fact that Team Rocket helped out Ash in his time of need. But my plan got even worse when Drew let his hormones get the best of him and tried to rape May." Harley let out.

Drew clenched his eyes shut and placed his head in his hands. In his mind, he could still see the hurt in her eyes. He could see the betrayed feeling on her face. He began to cry over this image again. "I-I'm sorry…" he sobbed. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for to happen like that…" Drew collapsed to his side and continued to cry. "I-I-I'm so sorry, May…"

May, however, was filled with the same emotion that Misty felt moments before. "You… You're making **light** of that?" she roared. Ash felt a cringe of fear flash across his face. "You think that's **funny?**" May continued.

As the girl began to pull forward, she felt Ash let her hand go. "Do what you want, May." He told her. "But remember, hating him will only hurt you in the long run."

May bit her lip. She knew Ash was right. That was the lesson everyone could come away from this with. Everyone but Harley.

"Yeah, listen to your boyfriend, May," Harley giggled, further antagonizing her. "I'm glad I had the foresight to talk to your little friend Tracey, though. He's a nice kid." The Watcher's ears peaked with interest as he turned to Harley. "I was even able to get him to attack you, Ash!" he gloated. "All I had to do was convince him that Misty would take a liking to him if he helped my plan."

Tracey felt his face turn bright red. He looked over at Misty, who looked at him with a confused look on his face. He could only stare into her cerulean eyes; all words escaped him at the moment.

"D-does Tracey like me, Ash?" Misty asked, a small blush coming over her face.

"He does, Misty," Ash whispered to her. "He helped Harley because he thought you would start to like him, too."

"I-I see…" Misty looked at her hands.

"And I was even able to have poor deluded Drew ambush Ash and his stupid rat," Harley continued. "His Pokémon were in just the place at the right time."

"I-it's true…" Drew managed to get through his sobs as Brock, Max, and Caroline tried to comfort the distraught young man. "I believed him. I can't believe I was so short-sighed!"

"Don't be," Brock tried to comfort him like an older brother would. "We've all fallen prey to Harley's plans at least once."

"You're the lowest!" May shouted. "You manipulated people's emotions, just to try to get back at me? You wanted to ruin their lives, just to get revenge?"

"And I'd say mission accomplished, even if I didn't get you to admit to the lie I fed Misty," Harley smiled back. "And there you have it, folks," he reacknowledged the audience. "Your champions are foolish, naïve children who are so easily swayed. Your Gym Leader is a jealous fool, and her friends are just as stupid. And I can't forget our darling new couple, can I?" He looked directly at Ash and May. "One's a punk kid that's practically whipped by his Pokémon. I mean, he can't even get his Pikachu to stay in his Pokéball!"

Pikachu emitted a low, guttural growl, flashing his cheeks again at the coordinator.

"Hey, Ash loves his Pokémon!" May stood up for him. "He treats them much better than I'm sure you treat yours! They are a part of his family to him. His children. It's truly a beautiful sight to see someone so in love with something. I can only be thankful that I am on par with his love for his extended family."

"And then the 'better half' speaks her mind. That spoiled brat. She constantly has boys falling for her left and right. You'd think she's some kind of pop star or royalty! She's a spoiled brat who got whatever she wanted from her Gym Leader pappy and through luck or otherwise has somehow beaten me in two Grand Festivals."

"May's not spoiled!" Ash said, stepping in front of his girlfriend. "May is a charming, wonderful young woman! She always seems happy, and seeing someone smile, even after she's been put through some of the things you've put her through, Harley, is one of the most inspirational things I've ever beheld in my life! She works very hard for everything she has! Those ribbons are much harder to earn than Gym Badges, let me tell you. At least I can get as many rematches as I need to beat a Gym Leader. Loosing a Contest means you have to wait for the next one. You can't have another go at it. And yet May has made it into the first two Grand Festivals she's tried to enter. You losing to her so many times is just a testament to how poorly you train your Pokémon!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu added. "Pikapika pika chu Pikapi pikachu! Pika pikapika pikachu pikapi!"

"You tell 'em, Pikachu!" Meowth shouted.

"What did he say?" James asked his feline companion.

"Pikachu said dat what Harley got everyone to do wit dere Pokémon was despicable," Meowth stated. "That Harley creep got all of those Pokémon hurt for his plan as well."

Harley ignored Team Rocket. "Whatever," he waved them off. "I've admitted that this entire thing was a scam. I'm done here." He began to leave the stadium as the crowd continued to boo him and toss garbage at him. He didn't care. It was mission accomplished.

May stood there with fire in her eyes. _Someone has to do something_, she thought, _Harley can't get off the hook with just another loss on his record. Not after how he manipulated everyone their emotions. Someone like that has to be punished!_

Sensing May's distress, Pikachu took matters into his own hands. The lithe Electric-Type leapt into action, quickly darting across the Gym Floor. He leapt over Harley, grabbing his green Cacturne themed hat in his teeth. Taking a moment to taunt Harley, he began running out the doors, the angry coordinator chasing him.

May looked over to Ash and saw a grin. "C'mon," the trainer said to his girlfriend and the Gym Leader. "This is gonna be good."

Running outside from the Gym, Pikachu lead Harley and the others to a small pond close by. Pikachu leapt into the water and began to swim, still carrying the hat in his mouth. Harley leapt in after him and grabbed Pikachu. "You little rat!" Harley snapped at the Mouse Pokémon. "Why'd you steal my hat and force me to get wet?"

"Oh, Harley," May called to him in a sing-song voice. He turned to see Ash, May, and Misty all grinning at him. "I figured I'd tell you that water and electricity don't mix."

Harley realized all too late that he was holding an Electric-Type Pokémon. As quick as he might try to escape the knee-deep water, he couldn't move fast enough.

"Pi-Ka-Chu!" Ash's partner cried out, unleashing a massive arc of lightning into the water. The water conducted the electricity into every inch of Harley's body. The water quickly divided into oxygen and hydrogen, and the spark from Pikachu's Thunder set off the explosion.

Pikachu flipped out of the explosion, and landed close to Ash's feet. Harley, however, was launched far into the air, shouting "This feels bad!" as he disappeared over the horizon.

* * *

**I know I probably dissapointed someone with the way Harley got punished. I mean, after all he did, all get gets is 'blasted off?'**

**Well folks, this is _Pokémon._ Very rarely do the villians get more than a blasting off. I had a feeling that some people forgot what world this was set in, and it's set in a world where people can get launched hundreds of kilometers through the air and land, still alive. **

**All good things must come to an end. This will come to it's end on Tuesday. Expect lotsa of plot resolutions, some Shippiness, and the ending to this 34 Chapter epic.**

**Until next time, Get Pokémon!**


	34. Calm

**Okay, I've got news.**

**Due to college work and other things, I was unable to finish the story by today. But I'm not going to leave you all hanging. Instead of my origonal plan of a really long last chapter, I'm going to split part of what I have off and make it Chapter 34. The true ending should come Friday, but until then, enjoy.**

**EDIT (18/10/06): I fixed an early scene concerning the Cascade Badge. I musta accedentally deleted it.**

* * *

As Ash, May and Misty returned to the Gym, they saw the masses leaving the building. As the crowds left the Gym, Raine stood on Norman and Joseph's shoulders promoting her store while the men distributed her flyers. Having been chosen as a judge for this battle made Raine a celebrity. And the maternal shop keep was sure she was going to capitalize on the opportunity. Ash and the girls scanned the crowds for their friends, and saw them all grouped together around the back side of the Gym Building. 

"Hey everyone!" Ash said as he and the two girls approached the crowd.

"May!" Max ran up to his sister. May kneeled down and caught her brother in her arms and hugged him. "You were awesome! I would have never thought of doing something like that with Squirtle's Attacks!"

"I have to admit, May," Misty smiled at her, "that was an excellent battle, even if it was under false pretenses."

"Thanks, Misty," May bowed slightly to her friend.

"I guess I should reward someone for the battle," Misty said, reaching into her pocket, "and seeing as Ash already participated in the Kanto League a while back, I figure that I should give it to you, May." Misty pulled a small, blue badge out of her pocket. It had the same color as Misty's eyes, and was shaped as a droplet.

"A Cascade Badge?" Cyndi was in awe. "Wow!"

"I don't think I should," May smiled, trying to wave off the badge. "I mean, it wasn't even an official Gym Battle."

"Go ahead, May," Ash nudged her. "You deserve it after that great battle."

"But still…" May smiled. "I don't think I deserve it."

Misty chuckled. "You must not have been told how Ash got a lot of his Kanto Badges, huh?"

May put on a confused look on her face. She looked over to Ash, who was away who had moved away from the group, crouched over and depressed.

"A Gym Badge doesn't always mean that the trainer defeated the Gym Leader in battle," Brock said, moving into the conversation. "It means the Gym Leader sees the holder as qualified of the Badge."

Ash leapt up, grinning. "See, Misty?" he boasted. "I was qualified of those Badges!"

Misty put a skeptical look on her face. "Yeah, because getting a Gym Leader to laugh makes you qualified of a Badge," she smirked to the boy. Ash became depressed again, and sighed.

May placed her hand on the saddened boy's shoulder. Misty reached down and took the hand from Ash's shoulder and dropped the Cascade Badge into May's hand. "I see you as qualified, May. And even if you don't use it to get into a league, you can hold on to it as a symbol of our friendship, and hopefully as a good memento of the things that happened here."

"When you say it like that," May laughed, "how can I refuse?" May struck a pose and held the Cascade Badge in the air between her thumb and her middle and index fingers. "I got a Cascade Badge!"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu leapt from the ground to her shoulder, giving the peace sign. Everyone, including Drew, Tracey, and Team Rocket laughed.

May looked around. "I guess we better go find our parents and stuff, huh?"

"Norman and Professor Oak are helping distribute flyers," Brock laughed. "Raine really wanted to cash in on their star power."

"Where'd my Mom go?" Ash asked, trying to look into the crowd from afar.

"She and Caroline rushed back to the store to run it while my Mom was out here," Cyndi explained, stepping next to Max.

"I guess we all bedda get goin' den," Meowth said to the twerps. "It's been fun hangin' around youse guys, but us bad guys gotta get movin'."

"Wait, Team Rocket," Ash called to them, "can I talk to you guys for a second?"

"What is it, twerp?" Jessie asked him, curious.

"A-actually," he said, turning to the rest of his friends, "can I talk to Team Rocket alone, please?"

"Why'd you wanna do that?" Cyndi raised her eyebrow.

May looked into Ash's eyes to search for a meaning to what he wanted. She smiled and nodded. "That's okay, Ash," she said, grabbing the attention of the group, "I've gotta talk to Drew alone, anyway."

Max was surprised. "You're gonna talk to him alone? Even after what he did?"

Cyndi leapt in. "You're supposed to be Ash's girlfriend! You're not supposed to be talking with every boy in private!" the young girl snapped.

"It's alright," Ash smiled at May. "I know you two have a lot to talk about. And I trust you, May. I know you won't do anything wrong."

"Well, if Ash trusts May," Cyndi smiled to herself, "I guess I do, too." Max sighed at the girl's ability to change sides to suit whichever one Ash was on.

"T-Tracey?" Misty asked, trying her hardest not to be embarrassed, "I think we better talk, too."

Tracey felt his face flush, but he only nodded and began to follow Misty away from the group.

"C'mon, Cyndi and Max," Brock said to them, "let's go find your Norman and Raine." He led the children away.

May stepped up to close to Ash so that only he could hear her whisper. "I'm still kinda scared, Ash," she confided in him.

"You'll be alright, May," he whispered back. "Take Pikachu with you if it makes you feel better. I certainly don't need him around Team Rocket, anyway."

"Thanks, Ash," she gladly took his offer. "You're the best." She turned to the small Pokémon on her shoulder, who nodded in agreement. She walked away from the boy and called Drew as they stepped around the building.

"Now what was so important that you had to talk to us alone, twerp?" Jessie asked him again.

"I wanted to thank you guys," Ash smiled to them.

"Thank us?" James was confused.

"But we was da reason dat you ended up in Cerulean ta start with," Meowth didn't follow, either.

"I've been doing some thinking," Ash explained, "and if you all had never tried to catch Pikachu that day, May and I would never have had the chance to get closer. It's really thanks to you all that everything happened that let me and May fall in love."

Jessie laughed. "Really? We helped you two fall in love?"

"We helped?" James raised his eyebrow.

Meowth put a reserved look on his face. "I guess we helped 'cuz we didn't know dat we was actually helping."

"Wooobuffet!" the cheery Psychic-Type added, popping out of his Pokéball.

Jessie reached into her pocket and pulled out the novel from all those days ago. "How long has it been since I last read from this?" she mused.

James placed his finger to his chin and recollected. "A week tomorrow, I believe," he said.

"Really?" Jessie said. "The last time I read was the day before we kidnapped twerpette."

Ash blinked. "Wow, time flies, huh?" he asked no one in particular.

Jessie turned to Ash. "Anyway, is that all?" she asked, seemingly annoyed.

"I… I guess…" Ash sighed. "It's just that I probably would have lost May if you guys didn't be yourselves. I owe you all a lot."

Jessie turned away from him and motioned to Meowth. "It's nothing, twerp," she said slyly. "I guess it feels good for us to be good guys every once in a while." Meowth produced the controller he used earlier that day, causing their balloon to sail back into view and land behind the trio. Jessie turned back around and stood sternly in front of Ash. "But next time we meet on the road, twerp, we're gonna be after Pikachu again." She stuck her hand out.

Ash gripped it tightly. "The status quo. I wouldn't have it any other way," he smiled to the leader of the trio.

"Jessie, we better get going," James called to her from the balloon. Mime Jr. sat on Wobbuffet's head and called for her as well.

She let go of Ash's hand and leapt into the balloon, which immediately began to sail away. "Looks like Team Rocket gets a peaceful exit this time!" the trio called as their balloon sailed into the sunset.

Ash looked into his hand and saw a small piece of paper that Jessie placed there. He opened it and read it.

Just so you know, the Ruby Knight ended up winning Princess Sapphire's heart in the end.

Jessie

Ash smiled as he folded up the paper and placed it into his pocket for later. Now he needed to go catch up with the rest of his friends while he waited for May and Drew to finish talking.

"So, May," Drew asked as she sat on the concrete barrier in front of the river, "why'd you wanna talk to me?"

"I… I really wanted to ask you why you did it?" she asked him, holding Pikachu protectively in her arms.

"Oh." Drew became quiet. He tried to think. "I… I was feeling jealous of Ash. I'll admit it."

"But that doesn't explain why you did it!" May shot back. Pikachu also chimed in.

"Harley told me that he saw you two sharing food, and I thought that you all might have kissed," Drew half mumbled, ashamed of himself. "I thought that if I could get farther with you than he has, I'd feel better about myself."

"You thought it would make you feel better to assault me?" May hopped down from the wall, becoming irritated with her rival.

"I thought that, but that doesn't mean I think I'm right," Drew admitted. "I'm sorry for what I did, but there's no way I can go back to the past and change what I did." The male coordinator looked down. "I'll have to carry this weight, this sin, with me for the rest of my life. And it tears me up inside because I really loved you, May."

"And I used to love you, Drew," May admitted to him. "But you showed me a part of you that would have broken us up if I had seen it down the line, anyway. I'm with Ash, now, and I see that he's loved me for a long time. I guess I just came to that realization recently, though."

"Pika…" the Electric type cooed softly in her arms.

"Harley did say that the two of you had been spending more time alone together," Drew recalled glumly.

"It was during those times that I saw that Ash can be really loving and romantic," May sighed happily to herself. "He just has a hard time expressing himself to people."

Drew sighed, but smiled. "I'm happy for you, May," he said.

"Thank you, Drew," May said.

"Can we be friends again, May?" Drew asked, slightly afraid.

May thought for a moment. "Of course we can," she reassured him. "I forgive you for what you did, Drew. Even though you can never take it back, I know that you're truly sorry for doing it. We can be friends again." She held out her hand to his. Drew looked at her hand oddly for a moment. Not sure how to do this as he wasn't accustomed to shaking girl's hands, he placed his hand in May's and gripped hard, but not too hard, afraid that he would hurt her again. Pikachu hopped down, and touched their clasped hands with the tip of his tail, showing approval for the mended friendship.

"Thank you, May, Pikachu," Drew smiled, a tear sliding down his face. He quickly shook it off and returned to his patented cool demeanor.

"So, Drew," May asked as Pikachu hopped to her shoulder, "where are you headed now?"

"I've heard that there are contests starting soon in the Johto Region," he said. "I've also heard that Saori will be going there to compete, so I'm going to be following her there so I can try to defeat her."

"Johto, huh?" May looked across the river.

"I'm not gonna ask you to come with me," he said. "You probably want some time to spend with Ash."

"That's true," she said, "but after the Battle Frontier is over, I don't know where we're gonna end up going."

"Follow your heart, May," Drew advised her. "If you love Ash, stay with him. I'm sure if you two talk, you'll be able to choose a new destination together."

"Drew…" May said, looking at him.

"If it helps, I'll spread rumors that you're going to Johto, as well," he said.

"Why?" May was confused. "How would that help?"

"Harley's not gonna let you go so easily," Drew said to her. "If he thinks you're going to Johto, he'll go there and search for you, even if you're not really there."

"You'd do that for me?" she asked.

"After what I did," Drew sighed, "you deserve so much more than what I can do." He looked into the sunset. "I better get going. Ash is probably waiting for you." He began walking away from May, down the path that led out of town.

"Drew!" May called. "One day, we'll have a full Contest Battle, and I'll show you that I really am the better of the two of us!"

The green haired coordinator said nothing, only waving his hand behind him as he walked away. May smiled at him as he left, then began to search for Ash. After all, she was getting hungry, and if she was hungry, she could bet that Ash was, too.

As Ash came around the Gym, he saw that Brock, Max, Cyndi, Raine, Joseph, Norman and Oak all stood in the grass in front of him conversing jollily. He saw Cyndi making a spinning motion as Max ran around her in the same direction. "Augh!" Max shouted. "I can't go on!" He then let out a loud laugh.

"So you all were as impressed with May's battling as I was," he asked the children as he came close.

"It was great!" Max shouted, smiling. "May turned that attack right back on Misty, and she didn't even see it coming until it was too late!"

"It's just what I expected from your pupil, Ash," Cyndi nodded affirmatively.

"Hey, Ash," Brock said as the trainer approached, "we're getting ready to head somewhere for a victory dinner." The breeder looked around. "Hey, where'd everyone else go?"

"Team Rocket left in their balloon recently, and May's still talking to Drew, I guess," Ash said.

"That still leaves Misty and Tracey unaccounted for," Brock noted.

"Here we are!" Misty called from the opening doors of the Gym. She walked out first, and Tracey followed behind her with a renewed sense of vigor. "What are you all standing out here for?"

"We're waiting-" Ash began.

"-for me to get back!" May hopped around the corner with Pikachu on her shoulder.

"Pikapi!" Ash's partner let out as he leapt to his trainer's shoulder.

"Hey, Pikachu," Ash laughed as his partner worked around his head, "you took good care of May, didn't you?"

"Pikapika," the electric Pokémon cooed.

A sound came from Ash and May's stomachs simultaneously. "Heh," Ash laughed, "I guess we're both hungry, huh?"

May smiled and stepped to stand by his side. "Eating is just another thing we can do together as boyfriend and girlfriend," she said slyly to Ash.

"Oh great," Misty sighed. "If she eats like Ash does, there's no place in Cerulean that can feed them both and remain open." The rest of the group laughed at the couple's expense, including Pikachu.

"Not to worry, though," Brock smiled. "We'll just stop by the store on the way back to Raine's and I'll whip up enough that we'll all be able to eat."

After getting the attention of the adults, Ash and May began leading their group back into town. Instead of the treatment that they had received earlier that day from Misty's fans, Ash and May were treated as heroes and cheered on for nobly routing out the evil Harley from Misty's pure Gym.

Ash sighed. "I'm amazed that people can change sides so quickly…"

May walked close to him and took his hand in her own. "At least they're on our side now, right?"

As they passed by the Pokémon Center, a defeated Joy with frazzled pink hair walked out of the center, a bag draped over her shoulder. She reached into her pocket and tossed the keys out at Raine, and then marched off down the road, grumbling.

"I'm kind of depressed that we didn't share any witty banter," Raine sighed, yet pleased with her victory.

"Raine?" Joseph walked up behind her and placed her hand on the mother's shoulder. "Why did Joy give you a key?"

"It's the key to the Pokémon Center, and it belongs to you, now," Raine smiled, putting the key in his hand.

"Why did she give you the key, Raine?" He asked, knowing that Raine just avoided answering it completely.

"B-Because when Ash and May won the battle, Joy agreed to swap Centers with you, so you could work closer to home." Raine smiled happily. "Now you don't have to be gone at the Center for months on end, and we can be a family!"

"Raine, what did you put up so that my cousin would agree to this?" Joseph looked into her eyes. "I know she's not the type to just agree to this kind of thing."

"I wagered the store against the Pokémon Center…" she muttered, slightly ashamed.

"I knew it…" Joseph sighed. "Why did you wager your grandmother's store like that? That's the only home Cyndi has ever known, and you were going to just rip that away from her if they lost the silly battle?"

"It's hard, Joe!" Raine cried. "It's so lonely in our bed every night without you. I have to force myself to sleep, knowing that I'll have to go another day, week, or even month without seeing you! Cyndi has to go another month without seeing her father!" She cried into his chest. "I just wanted us to be together. I didn't care if I lost the store. We were going under as it was. Only because Ash and May won did we pass out those flyers for the store. If not, it wouldn't matter, because I couldn't make another payment, and store would have been repossessed anyway," she sniffed.

Joseph wrapped his arms around his wife. "I understand. I just wish you told me sooner, Raine. That's all."

"Um…" Max smiled, stepping forward. "Won't Joy need Joseph's key to get into her new center?"

"You're right!" Joseph leapt up. He pulled a Pokéball from his coat and tossed it into the air. "Skarmory, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, Raine's Pokémon appeared before the party. She shone her wings in the setting sunlight and let out a shrill "Skyaa!"

"Wait, Joe," Raine stopped him as he approached Skarmory to ride it to his cousin. "I'll deliver the key."

"But why?" He asked. "You've never gotten along with her, and I know you two will end up fighting."

"I feel like I owe her that much," Raine sighed. Turning to her Pokémon and issuing commands like she did when she was 12 years younger, she shouted, "Skarmory! Let's go!"

May saw a renewed vigor in the former coordinator's eyes and spirit as her Pokémon responded. Raine agilely leapt to Skarmory's back and flew down the road to the trudging Pokémon Nurse.

"Is Mom gonna be alright?" Cyndi asked her father as her mother flew in the distance.

"I'm sure," Joseph comforted her. He turned to the large group. "Now, let's all get into the Center and Brock can cook something up for us!" he smiled as he led them into the center.

* * *

**Now's time for lots of reflection. What did you really enjoy about this story? What didn't you enjoy? What changes would you make to make it better? Those are the kinds of things you need to ask yourself as you review.**

**Until Friday, see you!**


	35. Conclusion

**And here we are. The final chapter. I'll save my talking for the end. Let's enjoy it, one last time.

* * *

**

_How did my life end up this way? _Joy thought as she trudged down the path. _How did I lose my cushy job in the city to my know-nothing cousin and his damn wife?_

"Joy!" Raine shouted from the air. "Wait!"

Joy stopped and looked to the woman as Skarmory landed and Raine ran up to her.

"What do you want?" Joy scoffed. "You already have your damn center."

"You're gonna need this," Raine responded, tossing the key into Joy's hands, "if you're gonna open the door to the center.

Joy looked at the small key in her hands. "Why'd you bring it to me? Wouldn't you have rather forced me to come back and beg for it?"

"What's done is done," Raine said to her. "I guess I felt bad for tricking you out of the center."

"Joe was disappointed in you for doing that?" the nurse guessed.

"Yeah," Raine sighed.

Joy laughed. "He's always been a softie. Just like his the rest of the Joys."

"We've… never really talked, have we, Joy?" Raine asked her in-law.

"No, I guess we haven't," Joy responded, looking at Skarmory. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Raine asked her back.

"Why'd you give up your dream of being a coordinator?" Joy clarified the question.

Raine laughed. "How did you know I used to be a coordinator?"

"The family's always been talking about you, and how I should get away from work to meet you, since I've been so busy the rest of the time." Joy walked up to Skarmory rubbed her hand behind the Steel-Flying type's head. At first she was apprehensive, but Skarmory relaxed under the calm touch of the Pokémon Nurse.

"I guess other things became more important," Raine looked into the orange sky. The sun was halfway obscured by the mountains, leaving a purple eastern sky to mix with the orange western sky.

"More important than your dream?" Joy was still unconvinced.

"I wanted to be a top coordinator for a long time," Raine said. "But then I met Joseph. I admit at first I was just feeling sorry for him, but as time went on, we spent a lot more time together. He stopped whining and really grew up, and I guess I found that new maturity attractive. I fell in love with him. He became more important than my dream of becoming a top coordinator. I wanted to stay with him forever, and I have since that day. Then when Cyndi was born, I had a new responsibility. And I grew to love my daughter. She's a wonderful girl, even if she's a bit of a loudmouth at times, and she means the world to me. As I got older, my priorities changed. My family became more important than becoming a great coordinator."

"I see…" Joy was glum.

"What's wrong with that?" Raine asked Joy, concerned about her estranged cousin.

"You had so much potential," Joy said. "You could have done anything you wanted. You could have become a great Coordinator, and been rich and famous. Instead, you choose to become a housewife."

"Well, some things aren't for everyone," Raine laughed. She saw the hurt in Joy's eyes. "Is… is that what you wanted to do? Did you want to be a coordinator?"

"I had to become a nurse," Joy spat. "It's our families' legacy! The women in our line always become nurses!"

"But that's not what you wanted," Raine pushed up her glasses.

"…No. I wanted to be a champion coordinator." Joy admitted.

"Why were you so angry with Joe, then?" Raine asked. "He was doing what he wanted to do."

"He's a man!" Joy shouted, becoming hysterical. "He could have done something else! He had the potential! And he squandered it to become a nurse!"

"Joy," Raine said, taking her in-law in her arms, "it's okay. Just let it all out. We're family."

Joy sobbed into Raine's shoulder. "Why didn't you fulfill my dream, Raine? Why did you let yourself get limited by other people like I did?"

"You're not limited, Joy," Raine told her, "you can go and do whatever you want. You're still young, and have lots of potential."

"But…" Joy sniffled, "…what about the center?"

"You have a lot of cousins, right?" Raine smiled. "Tell one of them to take care of it."

"…are you really sure I can do this, Raine?" Joy asked.

"Of course. All you have to do is stick to your dream." Raine reassured her. "And you've gotta have a Pokémon, of course."

"I do," Joy said, opening a Pokéball from her apron pocket. A small, pink Pokémon appeared. She had yellow tips at the ends of her ears and a small mouth. Her eyes looked strange, but one could tell when they were open or not.

"Whismur!" the small Pokémon called out.

"Oh, it's darling!" Raine smiled at the Pokémon. "Does it have a name?"

"Yes," Joy smiled. "I named her after my niece."

Raine grinned. "Well, she's cute for right now, but later, she'll become a big Exploud."

"You take care of Cyndi," Joy told Raine. "If you're gonna do anything, do it with everything you've got."

"And I expect to hear my daughter raving about how you're winning contests," Raine smiled.

Joy recalled her small Pokémon and began to walk away. The sun had set during their conversation.

"Oh, and Raine?" Joy said before departing. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Forgiven and forgotten. That's how it is with my faith, and that's how I'll treat you." Raine responded. Joy turned and left on her own journey with Cyndi, her Whismur. She turned off the path to the Pokémon Center in the forest, instead deciding to rough it in the forest and train for the next contest she could enter.

Raine turned back to Skarmory. "Let's go back to where our family and friends are waiting, old girl," she told her Pokémon as she climbed onto Skarmory's back.

The Armor Pokémon lifted off, and flew back to the Cerulean Pokémon Center.

* * *

"Just as long as you're okay, honey," Delia told her son over the video phone. 

"I am," Ash smiled to her. "I just wish I hadn't eaten so much of Brock's cooking. He cooked enough for all the trainers visiting the center, and I still ate too much."

"Don't eat too much, Ash," Delia warned him. "May won't like it if you get out of shape."

"I… I never thought about that," Ash blinked into the monitor.

"Did Misty go back home?" Delia asked.

"Yes, mom," Ash replied.

"Where is everyone else?" Delia continued.

"Norman's already got a room for him and Caroline. Tracey is also in his room with Oak. May's here with me, Brock, Max, and Cyndi are out. I dunno where Raine is. Joseph is at the counter." Ash prattled off the list as though he wasn't truly paying attention. Delia smiled, knowing that her son was feeling like things were returning to some form of normalcy.

"Tell Raine that we're all done here. Caroline and I will be coming up before the nights over," Delia continued. "Make sure Brock saves us some food."

"I will," Ash responded automatically.

"And make sure you get plenty of sleep and change your-"

"I will," Ash interrupted as Pikachu scrambled off the boy's shoulder into his lap.

Pikachu smiled at Delia. "Pikaka, pika pika Pikapi ka Pikapika pikachu pika pi."

"I know you will," Delia smiled at Pikachu. "Take good care of them."

"Bye, Mom," Ash said.

"Bye, sweetie. See you soon." Delia hung up.

Ash stood up and stretched. He had been talking to his mother for what felt like hours. Raine had come back a while ago, while the rest of the group waited for Brock to finish cooking. He and May had eaten their fill, and May was yawning loudly as Joseph ran the computer on the desk. He tapped the keys very quietly, a difference form his wife's heavy handedness.

"Okay, I've got sleeping arrangements set up," he told May, who kept pacing around the room.

"Thanks, Doctor Joseph," May yawned. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"Not until Brock and Max get back," he said, a glint in his eye. The hidden meaning was lost on the girl, however, as she let out another rude yawn while in front of him.

"Where'd they go, anyway?" May complained as she walked over to Ash.

"They went to go get supplies for our journey, remember?" Ash sighed. "Cyndi wanted to go with them, probably to say goodbye to Max before we leave tomorrow."

"Oh yeah," May said, thinking. "We're leaving to go to the Battle Pyramid, right?"

Ash struck an confidant pose. "Yeah, and I'm gonna beat Brandon and win my last Frontier Symbol!"

"Pi pikachu!" his partner chimed in.

A depressed look crossed over May's face. "Is something wrong, May?" Ash asked.

Before May could say anything, Brock, Max, and Cyndi stepped in, each carrying a large sack. "We've got everything we're gonna need," Brock smiled as he dropped his sack on the counter. "Do you have our rooms yet, Doctor?"

"As a matter of fact," Joseph grinned, "I do. This way, please." He took a clipboard with him as he led the trainers and his daughter down the hall. He led them to down a hallway in the center. Many of the doors were closed as they passed by. Joseph sighed as they came to the end of the hallway. "Here are the last two rooms we've got."

"The last two?" Max asked.

"Yeah, and they're only for two people each," he said, sighing, "so two of you are gonna have to sleep in a separate room."

"So which room are we going to get?" Max said, turning to his sister.

"Actually," May blushed, "I'd like to share my room with Ash."

Ash turned bright red as everyone's eyes shot to him and then to May.

"I-It's not like that!" May tried to squelch their thoughts, blushing. "I just wanted to talk to him about some stuff!"

"Okay, sis," Max pushed up his glasses with his free hand. "Whoever-I mean, however you sleep at night."

May growled at her brother, but didn't hit him due to the sack of supplies he carried, fearing that he's drop them and break the contained items.

"It's okay," Ash sighed. "I mean, the rooms are both for two people, right? May and I have shared a room before, so I'm sure nothing bad is gonna happen."

Grinning like a Cheshire Cat, Joseph opened the door to the room that Brock and Max would be staying in, and let them begin to become aquainted. Ash and May left their packs in the room after taking out their night clothes and a change for the next day (Raine was kind enough to give May a complete wardrobe switch when she gave May her new outfit), with the coordinator also taking with her various shower supplies. Cyndi hung around the room as Max prepared for sleep. Ash and May left the room and stepped into the room across the hall.

Immediately, Ash noticed something different. But he couldn't put his finger on the change.

"Um, Joseph," May asked, "why is there only one bed in here?"

_That was the difference_, Ash thought. _Wait, one bed?_ "I thought you said this was a room for two people!" the boy shouted quietly, worried that he may grab the attention of his friends across the hall.

"Well, technically," Joseph smiled, "it is. This room is for a married couple."

"M-married?" Ash and May blushed brightly, as images from their dreams that morning rushed into their minds. The both shot a look at each other, both guilty of a similar offense.

"It really is the only room left!" Joseph tried to quell them. "I did as best as I could!"

May sighed. "It can't be helped, can it?" She turned to Ash. "We made this bed ourselves. I guess we have to sleep in it." May stuck her tongue out and giggled at her pun.

"Well, you're the one who wanted to talk to me, so you sleep in it!" Ash shouted back at her before he realized what he said.

"You said it, not me," May giggled as she tossed her changes of clothes onto the bed. "I guess you get the floor."

"Wait! That's not what I meant!" Ash tried to recover from his folly.

"So, so you want to sleep with me now?" May fluttered her eyelids seductively.

"Yes! I mean- No! I mean- gah!" Ash flailed around. Pikachu was rolling on the ground laughing at his trainer's plight.

"Yes, well," Joseph coughed, "I guess I'll leave you two alone…" he said quietly under Ash's ranting as he slipped out the door.

He heard the door click and realized it was too late to ask to switch rooms with Max. Resigning himself to his fate, Ash began to make himself comfortable on the floor as May turned on the television.

May hopped off the bed with her night clothes in one hand and her bag of shower supplies in the other. "I'm gonna take a shower," she said, walking into the bathroom, closing the door. "Don't try to peek at me!" she called from behind the door.

Ash grumbled. "What does she think I am, some kind of pervert?"

"Pikapika…" Pikachu said. He turned to the bed and leapt from the ground to it. Enjoying the softness, he snuggled up against the pillow.

Ash looked jealously at Pikachu. Stealing a glance at the closed bathroom door and hearing the shower on behind it, Ash slinked onto the bed next to Pikachu.

"Woah," Ash felt himself sinking into the bed. "This is a soft bed." He looked around for at remote to the television across the room from him. Pikachu pointed to the nightstand, causing Ash to look over and pick the remote off of it.

Ash began flipping through channels. He felt himself dozing off on the comfortable bed. It was a gigantic leap forward to sleeping on the floor and on Raine's furniture.

* * *

May stepped into the bathtub and pulled the shower screen over the tub. She took a deep breath and turned on the showerhead. The cold water splashed her body, causing her to dart out of the water's path. She kneeled under the water and turned the cold knob all the way off while turning the hot knob all the way on. May had always preferred hot showers to cold ones. Cold showers made her think too much of rain and that terrible day at the beach when a cold current brought a mass of Tentacool to the shallow waters. Hot showers made her feel cleaner and happier. 

As she stood in the shower, she began to contemplate how she would go about talking to Ash. This subject was important. As she took the bar of complimentary soap and unwrapped it, she thought of the situation. _After Ash is finished with the Battle Pyramid, what's gonna happen to us? Will we go somewhere where he can participate in a Pokémon League and I can do contests? I should tell him Drew's going to Johto. Will that influence his decision? What if…_ she dropped the small bar of soap. The current pushed it down the drain in the tub.

_What if he wants to go somewhere without contests? What if we have to split up?_ May felt weak for a moment. _No, Ash wouldn't want to split up with me! But, what if his dream makes him?_

May thought hard about that. Ash had been traveling much longer than she has, and he was still far from being a Pokémon Master. Would victory in the Battle Frontier be it? _No,_ May told herself. _To be a Master, Ash would have to keep traveling. The journey is more important than the destination. He'll have to keep going. Just like I will if I ever want to be a top coordinator. _

May looked into the drain and sighed. The bar of soap was long gone. She looked and saw the tiny bottle of complementary shampoo. Figuring that shampoo is just soap for your hair, May popped the top open and squirted some into her hands.

As she rubbed herself down, her thoughts returned to Ash. _I don't want us to split. We can't. Will one of us have to put our journey on the backburner? Will Ash want to? Will I have to? Am I willing to make that sacrifice? _

She put more of the shampoo in her hands and began to massage it into her hair. She made sure that her signature hair style was kept in top shape. _I can't let my looks slack just because I've captured a man, can I?_ May laughed to herself out loud. _There's really nothing more I can do about this without talking to Ash,_ she decided. She rinsed her hair out under the running water and stepped out of the tub. She grabbed one of the plain towels and dried herself off, and then slipped into her usual night clothes: a large, yellow shirt and her underwear. Before opening the door, she considered getting more dressed, but brushed off the notion. Ash and Pikachu would be the only two in the room, and they had already seen her dressed thusly on several occasions, not the least of which was the night in the forest less than a week ago.

She quietly creaked open the door to spy Ash and Pikachu asleep on the bed. The boy had dozed off while watching the news on television as they recapped their victory over Misty and Harley from earlier that afternoon. His hat was lowered over his eyes, and Pikachu napped on the pillow next to him.

May saw this and thought how cute the scene was. Then, she got an idea. An idea she was sure would make Ash freak-out. Unbeknownst to her, her eyes had taken on that gleam of the untamed. She quietly tip-toed over to the bed and quietly slipped onto it, being sure to not wake Ash. She set herself parallel to him, and leaned as close as she could to his ear.

Making her voice sound as sultry and seductive as possible, she whispered into his ear, "Hey, lover."

Ash quickly snapped out of his sleep and turned his bright red face over to May, who was working to stifle the laughter that was building up inside of her. He jumped off the bed, knocking his hat from his head, and backed up the wall as quickly as he could, never taking his eyes off of the girl who laid on the bed.

Ash began to speak, but in typical Ash fashion, only an incomprehensible string of noise left his mouth. The volume of said noise was kept to a dull roar. May exploded with laughter after noticing.

Pikachu scratched at his ears with his hind paw, turned over, and resumed sleeping.

"M-M-May!" Ash managed to get out, "what are you doing?"

Trying to calm her laughter down, she began taking in deep breaths. "I-I was trying," she said between giggles, "to wake you up. That reaction was priceless!" She again fell into a laughing fit.

Ash was not amused. Especially not after he was dreaming himself doing. "Why'd you scare me like that?" he demanded to know. "That was a dirty trick!"

May continued to play around with the innuendo Ash was unknowingly letting out. "Oh, I'm being dirty now, am I?" she fluttered her eyelashes before tumbling on her back in laughter.

Ash was about to say something mean in response, but when May fell on her back, he caught a glimpse of the cotton panties he had to fish out of the dryer that day. _Why now, of all times?_ he cursed. Being unable to respond to such advances by the girl, he turned and sat in the corner, facing the wall.

May stopped laughing and slipped over to Ash on the side of the room. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Ash growled.

"Did I make you mad?" she asked again.

The boy let out another grunt and nodded his head.

May smiled at how cute Ash acted when he was mad. Her eyes fell back into an apologetic mood. She wrapped her arms around him and sat on her knees behind him. "I'm sorry, Ash," she whispered into his ear. "I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I was just having a bit of fun when I shouldn't have."

Ash sighed. "I forgive you, May," he said. "Just give me a heads up next time, alright?"

May smiled at him. "Alright," she gave his torso a squeeze. May stood up and sat on the bed, looking expectantly at Ash. "You gonna change into your bed clothes?" she asked him.

Ash quickly recalled what he defined his 'bed clothes' as. It merely meant discarding his pants, socks, and hooded sweatshirt. While he wasn't above discarding the latter two, Ash had no intention of sleeping in the same room as May alone without his trousers.

"No, I think I'll stay dressed," he smiled falsely, trying to dissuade the girl who looked at him from the bed from encroaching any further.

"Are you sure?" May asked. "I might get cold and turn up the heat, making you get really hot."

Shaking alternate definitions of cold and hot from his mind, Ash looked back up at her. "I'll be fine," he sighed, crawling over to lie on the ground beside the bed.

"You gonna join me up here?" she asked to the boy who had crawled up to her feet.

Ash gulped. He did enjoy the softness of the bed while he was up there before May gave him a rude awakening. Pikachu was enjoying the bed too much to join him on the hard, cold carpet, either. "Is there any way I could get you to put on more clothes if I said yes?" he asked, not expecting her to comply.

"Well," May placed her finger to her chin in thought, "if it makes you that uncomfortable, then I'll go put my shorts back on."

"Could you please?" Ash asked, sitting up, looking up to the girl.

"Okay, Ash," she smiled at him, slipping off the opposite side for where she left her clothes in the bathroom.

Ash slipped on to the bed where May had gotten off of it. Pikachu still napped through their conversation, proving that he either could sleep through anything, or that he was no longer interested in interrupting the couple during 'personal time.'

May appeared in the door way, and raised the end of her shirt to prove to Ash that she was wearing shorts to comfort him. Ash blushed at the presentation, turning back to the wall he just departed from.

May climbed onto the bed and sat behind him. "There where some things I wanted to talk to you about…" she began.

"Like what?" Ash turned back to face her.

Her normally bright eyes took on a shade darker than usual. "Our next destination is the Battle Pyramid, right?"

"Yeah," Ash answered, completely unaware of what May was thinking.

May picked up Pikachu and held him in her lap. She stroked the Pokémon's fur, trying to keep herself calm. "Where are we gonna go after that?"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Drew said that contests are starting in Johto soon," she answered, "and I was worrying about where we're all gonna go after the Battle Frontier."

Ash crossed his legs and put on a puzzled look. "Y'know, I haven't given it much thought," he answered honestly. "I don't know what kind of place we're gonna go next, but we can go together, right?"

"What if," May began, "just pretending, the next place you wanted to go had already had their Grand Festival and wasn't going to have another one until after the Pokémon League there was over?"

"Well," Ash said, "why couldn't we go to Johto? You said the contest were starting there. I could participate in that league again."

"Didn't you already participate in the Johto League?" May said, annoyed.

"Yeah, but I can go again," Ash said.

"Okay, but what if I wanted to go somewhere that had Contests but no league," May asked back. "Would you put your quest on hold to stay with me?"

Ash was taken back and began to ponder. His journey was important to him. He would always need to challenge himself by going to new battles and facing new challenges. Traveling with May to a place with nothing for him to compete in meant that he would go for up to a year without doing any serious training. But what about a reverse situation.

"Would you go to a place with Gyms but no Contests for me?" he asked her.

"I-I came to Kanto to follow you to wherever you were going next," she blushed and looked at her hands as she sat them atop Pikachu. "I never thought about going to more contests here. It was just gonna be down time until Hoenn's contests started again." She looked up into his eyes, blushed lightly. "So… I guess I would…"

"I… I guess I would, too," he sighed. "But I'd much rather go to a place that lets us both do something." He slid down the bed and sighed, resting his head on the pillow. "It'd be better for both of us in the long run. If I have to train for Gyms, I'd be a better practice partner for you, and vice-versa."

"That's true…" May said to herself. She put Pikachu back on the pillow next to her, and slid down the bed, laying her head on Ash's chest. "This is gonna be a hard one to figure out, huh?" she said to Ash while facing the celing."

"Wherever we go," Ash wrapped his arm around May's upper body, "we'll go together. I still don't know where we'll go. But, May, you're important to me. Just as much as my Pokémon, and defiantly more important than winning a dumb ol' tournament."

"Thanks, Ash," May turned her head and smiled at him. "That's very sweet."

Ash blushed and looked away. "W-We should be getting to sleep. I don't know how far the Battle Pyramid's gonna be from here. It could be a long time before we sleep in a soft bed again, and I want to get as rested as I can."

"Good thinking," May said to him. She broke from his grip and slid under the covers. Ash stayed on top of them, and just watched May go under. "Aren't you gonna join me?" she asked.

"I-I don't think I should," Ash blushed and twiddled his thumbs.

"Oh, don't be such a worry wart," May smiled, sitting up. "It'll be fine. We've slept together before, and nothing happened then, right?"

"But this time there's a bed," Ash pointed out, thinking himself clever.

"C'mon, Ash," May tried to persuade him, "wouldn't you rather be warm?"

"I am warm," Ash said. "I'm still wearing my clothes. They keep me warm."

May got a defeated look on her face. "Okay…" she sighed. "I guess I just wanted you to hold me as we slept… If you don't want to, I can't make you…"

Ash felt May's guilt trip in full force. "Y-Y'know, if I do this, you're gonna end up being spoiled."

And then, she did it. She looked up at him with her eyes and the cutest look she could muster on her face. "Please, Ashy," she cutely begged. "I just want you under the covers with me. Is that too hard?"

Ash could try to rationalize with May's guilt trips. He could work against her claims. But the Pokémon-Master-in-training was powerless against her cuteness. Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, Ash sighed and slipped under the covers, still clothed. "I'm still gonna be wearing my clothes, though," he said as though he won the argument.

May slowly wrapped her arms around his midsection. "That's fine," she said, nuzzling his chest.

Ash sat there blushing for a second, but then wrapped his arms around the girl. He slipped further under the covers, and rested his head on the pillow next to Pikachu as May rested her head on Ash's chest.

"Ash…" she said, "…have you thought about the future?"

"The future?" Ash blinked. "Isn't that what we just talked about?"

"No, I mean way into the future. Not a week or so, but years," May clarified her statement.

Ash closed his eyes and thought. "What about the future?"

"I dunno," May said. "All kinds of stuff."

"Well, one time, I wondered how long it would take me to become a Pokémon Master," Ash let out.

"What does it mean to be a Pokémon Master?" May asked him, both of them looking at the ceiling.

Ash thought for a moment. "I… I really never thought of that."

"'Cause if it's just becoming one with your Pokémon, then you already are a master to me," May smiled, even though he couldn't see.

"Thanks, May," Ash said to her. "What kinds of stuff do you think about when you think about the future?"

May blushed. "I think about what my wedding will be like," she giggled.

Ash gulped audibly. The reason was twofold: the first was his dream the night prior, the second, what that would mean for him.

"Ash," May said curiously, "how long do you think we'll stay together?"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, thankful to get off the subject of a lifetime partnership.

"Well, I see on TV and stuff that people are always breaking up for stupid reasons, and the divorce rate is really high," May told him. "I was wondering if that would ever happen to me."

Ash felt his heart skip a beat. "I don't want to leave you, May," he said.

"Are we gonna be together forever, Ash?" May asked him.

"Forever's a long time, May," he said. "We don't know what will happen between now and then."

May became glum. "Does that mean we're gonna have to leave each other some day, even if we don't want to?"

Ash thought of something to reassure her. "I don't know what will happen, but I'll do everything I can to make sure we stay together, May."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ash responded.

"Do you love me, Ash?" she asked cutely.

"You know, don't you?" Ash responded.

"Yeah, but I still like to hear it," she giggled.

"Okay," Ash smiled. He took in a deep breath and cleared his thoughts. He began speaking in a calm, quiet voice to her. "I love you, May. I've never felt this kind of love before. It's different than the love I give my Pokémon. It's different from the love I give my Mom, or any of my friends. It's a love I want only us to share. You have a really special place in my heart, May."

May snuggled against him. "That was really sweet, Ash," she told him.

Ash chuckled. "Well, I got most of that from our conversation about love the other night, remember?"

May giggled. "That's right." She snuggled against his chest again. "G'night, Ashy," she said to him sweetly.

"Good night, May," he pulled her closer to him.

May felt warm and safe in Ash's arms. It was a similar sensation to when she had been frightened as a little girl and ran into her parent's room at night and was held by her daddy after she had a bad dream. Not just safe. Secure. May felt like she was held by the most dependable security system in the world. And she loved him to pieces. The girl let out a yawn, and felt herself drifting off to sleep.

_

* * *

May stood on a mountaintop. Rather, May was walking up to a mountaintop. She found it difficult to climb the stairs and took a look down to see why. _

_She was wearing a long white dress with pink frills just under the neckline, accentuating her chest. The pink frills trailed down the dress to where it bloomed outward, tiny pink roses sewn into the fabric in swirls that ended about halfway down the bloom. The rest of the dress was plain white, with a long train covering the last few steps May had apparently been walking up._

_May clicked her heel against the stone step. She felt the tall heel of the dress shoe she wore tap the stone, and heard a click as she did so. Rubbing her legs together caused her to feel nylon stockings on them, similar to the ones she had worn for special occasions such as funerals and weddings._

_It struck her, then. She was dressed as a bride._

_Not knowing why she was walking up the mountain in a wedding dress, May decided that the only way to obtain an answer would be to approach the top. Sighing, she picked up the front of her dress in her hands, which she noticed were in arm-length white gloves, and began the process of climbing the stairs._

_As she peaked her head to the top of the mountain, she saw a lone man standing there, looking at the setting sun in the distance. His black, scraggly hair was immediately recognized by her, and he had his hands in the pockets of the black slacks he wore as part of his tuxedo. A pink rose was pinned to his black coat. Wheezing in the heavy dress, she finally got to the top and walked as quickly as she could to his side._

"_Ash…" she panted… "What are we doing here?"_

"_It's a very important day," he said cryptically._

"_Well, if it's what I think it is," May caught her breath, "then where is everyone? Why are we the only two here?"_

"_Because he won't appear before that many people," the man responded._

"_Who won't appear?" May asked._

"_He won't appear before that many people," the man responded again._

"_Who is it?" May was becoming annoyed, both with the dress and her apparent fiancé._

"_There," he said, pointing to the skies behind May. "Look."_

_May turned around and saw a large, shimmering bird flying towards the mountain they were on. It had majestic comb atop its head, however, it was too far away to tell the color. It had large red wings with green feathers protruding from the back, and a large, flaring bush of tail feathers. It seems to glow with a golden aura and it changed colors as it flew above Ash and May._

"_W-What's that?" May was startled at the strange creature. At first, she was repulsed by how strange it looked, but at the same time, she was drawn in to its unique beauty. _

"_Don't you remember?" Ash said, also looking at the creature. "That's Ho-oh."_

"_Ho-oh… That Pokémon we saw after you lost to Brandon?" she asked._

_Ash nodded. "Its made an appearance here for us. For our day."_

_As Ash and May spoke, Ho-oh flew overhead, and away from the mountain top they stood on. It let out a shrill cry, and continued on its way._

"_Charizard!" Ash tossed a Pokéball. From the ball, a draconic Pokémon appeared. He had large, powerful wings and a royal look upon his face, as if he was a king. His powerful tail snapped at the ground, flicking embers from the end of his tail. As Ash walked up to him, the powerful dragon bent down, allowing Ash to climb on his neck. "C'mon, May," he said to the girl in the elaborate dress, "let's follow Ho-oh."_

_May picked up the front of her dress again, and walked over to Ash. She stepped over Charizard's neck and straddled the dragon between her legs. She wrapped her arms around Ash as he ordered the Pokémon to rise. Charizard rose up and took off, flying after Ho-oh. At first, May was frightened. She feared that Charizard would drop her much like Drew's Flygon had. However, Charizard's wings flew powerfully, and he didn't falter as they chased after Ho-oh. May began to enjoy the sight of the ocean they flew over, with many tiny islands in the distance. She wrapped her arms around Ash tighter, both for more support on the flight, and as a sign of affection._

"_This is so romantic, Ash," she said._

_Ash blushed. "I-uh heard from someone that you wanted to fly with us one day."_

_May's dress fluttered in the wind behind them as they flew. She let out a sigh. "I'm just so sad that this is all a dream."_

"_Yeah," Ash sighed as well. "This seems like it'd be really neat if it happened for real."_

"_Wait, are you dreaming?" May asked Ash._

"_Yeah, are you?" Ash asked back, confusion crossing his face._

_May nuzzled Ash's back. "Let's just enjoy the moment."_

_Ash agreed as they chased after the rainbow bird on the back of one of Ash's most trusted partner._

* * *

Brock knocked on the door across the hall. "Ash! May! Are you two gonna get up?" He tried to open the knob. He was surprised when he felt the knob turn in response. He peeked into the door and saw Ash and May still sleeping quietly in the same bed, under the covers, with Pikachu napping on the pillow next to Ash's head. Staring for only a moment, he quietly closed the door and found himself face to face with Max as he turned around. 

"Are they gettin' up?" the boy asked the breeder.

"I think we should let them sleep a little longer," Brock smiled, taking the boy by the arm and leading him down the hall.

The center was quiet, with Chansey patiently sitting at the counter. Brock asked the pink Pokémon if breakfast had started in the cafeteria. The Normal-Type gave a nod, and Brock led Max to get something to eat.

* * *

The clicking of the door closed roused May from her slumber. The sun drifted in through the window, causing the girl to clench her eyes shut. "It's too early," she whined, pulling the covers over her face. She looked over under to covers to see Ash's torso and lower body. Remembering where she was and who she was with, she popped her head from under the covers, only to expose her sapphire eyes to the sun again. She turned over to Ash, and nudged him. 

"Not yet," he said as though he was awake. "I'm going back to sleep."

"It's morning, Ash," she said, shaking him again.

"I know what time it is," he responded, eyes shut. "I just don't want to get up yet."

"Well, if we keep Max and Brock waiting, they're going to wonder why it took us so long to get up," May warned him, hopping out of bed. "I'm gonna get dressed." She looked to the ground where her clothes had fallen off the bed when she and Ash had gone to sleep before. The stepped into the bathroom and began to change behind a closed door.

Ash turned over and looked at Pikachu. The electric-type looked at his trainer with wide eyes.

Ash grudgingly sat up and rubbed his eyes. Pikachu leapt onto Ash's head and messed with his trainer's dark hair. Ash pulled Pikachu from his scalp and gave his buddy a hug. Being nearly completely dressed except for his hat and shoes, Ash was already ready to go. May was changing as quickly as possible as the trainer put his hat back on his head. Ash stepped up to the door. "Hey, May, can I come in and brush my teeth?"

"No," she said, struggling against something from the other side of the door. "Besides, you never got your toothpaste from your pack last night."

Ash groaned. "I can't believe I forgot…"

"…there," she said, giving a sigh of relief. "Now, why didn't you want to wake up?"

"You better not make fun of me when I say this," Ash prefaced.

"I won't," May said, the sound of clothing coming from her side of the door.

Ash began, "I was dreaming that I was on top of a mountain, and you came up wearing a wedding dress. And we saw-"

"Ho-oh, and then we followed it on Charizard?" May ended, opening the door, dressed in her new outfit.

"How did you know?" Ash asked looked in her eyes, afraid of the answer.

"I had the same dream," she said. "Except, I was me, and everything."

"How did we have the same dream?" Ash was confused. He turned on the television, and the newscaster possibly had an answer.

"Reports are coming in that a large, golden Pokémon was seen flying over Cerulean in the early hours of the morning," the television said.

"Golden Pokémon?" they both said at the same time.

"The police tell the populace that it was more than likely a weather balloon, or a rare-colored Pidgeot, and says that they will not be pursuing the subject further," the TV finished.

"Do you think Ho-oh gave us that dream?" May asked him as he turned off the television, scared by the events.

"I think this is just a coincidence," Ash tried to brush it off. "It's all to weird, otherwise."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" May sighed. "C'mon, let's get something to eat! I'm starving!"

Ash chuckled as Pikachu climbed to his shoulder. "That's something I can agree on. Let's go."

* * *

Everyone in the cafeteria held their mouth open as they took in the scene. Such a display of raw, primal energy was not something seen in a Pokémon Center's cafeteria. A display of such ferocity was shocking to everyone who walked by. 

For Brock, it was par for the course of watching Ash and May eat.

The couple greeted their friends as they entered, then immediately got in line. Ash and May got as much food as could possibly fit on their tray without stacking incompatible foods. Ash got himself a waffle, a plate of biscuits and gravy, and another plate with eggs and bacon. May got three chocolate chip pancakes, a bowl of fruit flavored cereal, and some biscuits and jam. Both got milk to drink. They sat down across from each other, smiling politely to themselves and their other friends, and then proceeded to tear into their food. Sighing, Max and Cyndi finished what was left on their plates, and then left the cafeteria to avoid being associated with such poorly mannered people.

May and Ash smiled at each other at varying intervals during their display of how kind people could be so cruel to food. Brock gave up trying to correct them. He just got up and went to wait for them in the lobby.

After they finished, Ash and May stepped into the lobby, where they caught up with Max, Cyndi and Brock. The five stepped outside of the center to find all of their parents (Brock's excluded), as well as Professor Oak, Tracey, and Misty waiting for them.

"I guess this is it, guys," Ash said to the group.

"You're all leaving?" Cyndi said depressingly.

"We've gotta go and get my last Frontier Symbol," Ash told her. "My toughest battle is waiting for me in the Battle Pyramid."

"You've all done so much for us," Joseph said to the traveling trainers. "I don't know how to thank you all."

"It's nothing," May smiled, taking Ash's hand. "We've all gotten something out of this adventure."

"Well," Max said slyly, "apart from Brock, that is."

Brock began to cry. "You don't have to rub it in!"

"You've been such a good influence on Cyndi, Ash," Raine said to him. "Good luck in the Battle Pyramid."

"Thanks, Raine." Ash smiled back. "Good luck with your store."

Delia and Misty stepped up to Ash. "You better take good care of her, Ash," the Gym Leader warned him. "You already know what it's like to be on a girl's bad side."

"I'll do my best, Misty," Ash laughed.

"Take care of yourself," Delia said to him. "We'll be waiting for you to come back to Pallet Town. And make sure you change it every day, honey."

Ash sighed. "I will. You'd think since you think I'm mature enough to have a girlfriend, you'd think I'd be mature enough to do that."

Meanwhile, Norman and Caroline walked up to May. "You be sure to keep an eye out for your little brother, May. You don't need to be so absorbed into Ash that you forget about him.," Norman reminded her.

"I'll watch him. I've always cared about Max, and Ash isn't gonna change that," May brushed off their worry.

"May," Caroline bent down to be at eye level with her daughter, "if you have any questions about anything you start to feel about Ash, you can always call me."

"Alright, Mom," May smiled into her mother's eyes with the same she inherited from her. "I promise."

Cyndi blushed and stepped close to Max. "Y-You… You better stay in touch with me!" she shouted at him before ducking behind her father's legs.

"What do you mean?" Max asked her, becoming confused.

"I mean, when I can get my starter Pokémon, you better come back here and teach me how to be a trainer!" she shouted, poking her head out at Max before hiding again.

"Why are you acting so weird, Cyndi?" Max asked.

Brock placed his hand on the boy's head. "I think I should explain it on the road."

"What's up?" Max asked Brock as he was lead away from the girl.

"Like I said," Brock pushed him along, "I'll explain later."

Ash and May laughed knowingly at May's little brother. The traveling party said their farewells to the group as they set off down the road. They left amid the cheers of their friends and family with behind them, and set off for Ash's battle at the Battle Pyramid. The sun shone above them, brightly lighting the way for them as they traveled to their next Battle Frontier adventure.

* * *

"Hey," Ash recalled as they walked down the road, "it's just been over a week since we had this little side adventure, hasn't it?" 

May placed her finger to her chin. "Yeah, a week ago today, you were battling Drew because you both thought I was kidnapped by the other."

"Yeah, and now you have a boyfriend," Max said.

May giggled and grabbed Ash's hand. "Things can certainly change in a weeks time, huh?"

Ash smiled and squeezed her hand back, "Yeah. I'd never have guessed that I'd get my first girlfriend while on my journey."

"Watch out, Brock," Max warned the breeder, "I think Ash and May are gonna start kissin' right here."

May became indignant. "And what would be wrong with that?" she asked her little brother. "Ash is my boyfriend, after all."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean the rest of us wanna see it," Max smiled as he ran ahead of his sister along the path that lead through the forest.

"Max, you're gonna get it this time!" May threatened, chasing ahead of him after releasing Ash's hand.

The trainer stepped next to Brock. "Some things never change, huh?" he asked Brock, jokingly.

"I guess not," the youth laughed back. "Didn't they fight the day this all got started, too?"

"I better keep May from beating Max to a pulp," Ash laughed, racing ahead of his long time friend.

"Don't leave me back here, Ash," Brock called, chasing after him as fast as he could, "my mediating skills can solve any conflict between brothers and sisters!"

As he chased down the road to stop his girlfriend from hurting her brother, Ash Ketchum knew that his life was changed forever this past week. There are many more challenges awaiting him, not just in the Battle Frontier, but in life as well. But for as long as he continues his journey, he will have invaluable partners joining him in his life, not the least of which are his best friend Pikachu who hangs obediently on his shoulder, or the girl named May, whom he's fallen in love with. And as long as he stays with such valuable friends, he's certain to have many more exciting adventures in the days, and yes, years to come.

* * *

**And that, my friends, is the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Now, a hot button issue is what's going to happen next in the story. This is complete. However, a sequal is in the works. So we haven't seen the last of Ash, May, Cyndi and Brock.**

**However, I'm going to take some time off before I write another long thing. There are some oneshots I want to do, including a challenge that I want to accept. But, for that, just watch my Profile Page.**

**I would like to thank everyone who's helped me over the course of this journey. Unfortunatly, that's probably too many names to list! So, I'll just offer a big blanket, "Thank you!" to everyone. Especially, you, the reader. After all, if it wasn't for you, there'd be no point to my writing.**

**Until we meet again!**


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